News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – US influenza policy experts who gathered in Washington, DC, today called for better vaccines and other steps for improving pandemic and seasonal flu preparedness, themes echoed in an action plan released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).

(CIDRAP News) – More parents obtain medical vaccination exemptions for their kindergarten children in states where they are easier to get, which potentially reduces herd immunity and poses a threat to children who have real medical contraindications to vaccination, according to a study published yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

(CIDRAP News) – Infectious-disease specialty groups are teaming up to call for increased use of antimicrobial stewardship programs, saying such efforts can help preserve the effectiveness of anti-infective drugs while reducing medical costs.

(CIDRAP News) – A national group that represents infection control experts said today that a recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documenting low flu vaccination rates among healthcare workers raises patient safety concerns.

(CIDRAP News) – Sanofi Pasteur's intradermal influenza vaccine, which involves a shallow needle prick into the skin instead of deep into muscle tissue, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company announced today.