News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – Several national barometers of influenza-like illness (ILI) activity fell slightly last week as the flu weakened in the East while rising in the West, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in its weekly update today.

(CIDRAP News) – Deaths from pneumonia and flu in the United States rose sharply last week, with a rise in hospitalizations that continues to hit older people the hardest, though other disease indicators showed declines, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported today.

(CIDRAP News) – This year's edition of influenza is hitting the elderly hard, putting many in hospitals, even as overall flu activity is showing signs of slowing down, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said today.

(CIDRAP News) – Despite the early start to the flu season and widespread activity in most states, no unusual disease patterns have emerged among children, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday.

In a separate update, the agency said that, in spite of spot shortages, most providers still have flu vaccine doses to administer.

(CIDRAP News) - Low demand for flu vaccine in previous years could limit the supply of vaccine, leaving the nation unprepared for a year when levels are higher, according to a new analysis of flu vaccine trends and policies by Trust for America's Health (TFAH), a nonprofit health advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.