Nearly 160 sick with flu at US air force base after Hegseth ends mandatory vaccines

Reports say Texas recruits ill from outbreak, which comes weeks after defense secretary made flu vaccine optional…

 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/18/lackland-air-force-base-flu-outbreak

FDA panel backs first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology | PBS News

Tens of thousands of Americans die from influenza every year, and older adults are among the most vulnerable. There are various types of flu vaccines already available in the U.S., including three specifically recommended for people 65 and older. But vaccines made with the Nobel Prize-winning mRNA technology are faster to manufacture than other types — something experts say might help if the shape-shifting flu virus mutates in a way that requires suddenly brewing new doses to match. 

 "Having this technology available puts us in a better position to be prepared for emerging strains in the future," said Dr. Flor Munoz-Rivas of Texas Children's Hospital, one of FDA's advisers...

 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/fda-panel-backs-first-of-its-kind-flu-vaccine-using-mrna-technology

 

HHS dramatically overhauls childhood vaccine schedule, downgrading advice for flu, meningitis, other shots - POLITICO

Federal officials say the U.S. schedule should be more in line with slimmer recommendations in other countries. Public health experts say the goal belies big differences between health systems and disease prevalence...

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/hhs-to-weaken-childhood-vaccine-schedule-for-flu-meningitis-00711252 

 

How to treat influenza, but don’t listen to Dr. Oz. #influenza #doctor #flu

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0QtJlN0Ym0U

 

More kids with the flu are getting severely ill or dying as vaccine rates fall, CDC reports

As fewer children get their flu shots, cases of a rare, severe complication are rising. Last season, the U.S. experienced the highest number of pediatric flu deaths in 15 years...

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/flu-vaccines-children-complication-cdc-deaths-rcna233436 

 

RFK Jr’s health department to halt $500m in mRNA vaccine research

Agency to end 22 federal contracts, questioning safety of technology credited with helping end Covid pandemic…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/05/rfk-jr-hhs-mrna-vaccine-research?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Trump administration terminates CDC flu vaccine campaign : Shots - Health News : NPR

As flu rages, the Trump administration has pulled the plug on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu immunization campaign that targeted high-risk groups, including pregnant women...

https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5302906/cdc-flu-vaccine-campaign-terminated

Amid a ‘Tripledemic,’ It’s Time to Mask Up Again, Experts Say - The New York Times

A high-quality, well-fitting mask is your best protection against infection from the coronavirus, influenza and R.S.V.…

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/13/well/covid-flu-rsv-masks-tripledemic.html

Local authorities in major cities urge indoor masking : NPR

Nearly a tenth of counties in the U.S. are advised to wear masks indoors, CDC says…

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/11/1142099805/indoor-masking-advised-washington-california-new-york.

How the common flu can spike your risk of Parkinson's by 90 percent | TheHill

"This is not evidence of a causal link between flu infection and Parkinson's. Our study adds to a broader literature, and we shouldn't overstate the results," the study's lead author said.

https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/medical-advances/588263-how-the-common-flu-can-spike-your-risk-of

CDC test can’t differentiate between COVID and the flu? That’s wrong. - PolitiFact |

…Mike Huckabee, a former Fox News host who was also a Republican presidential candidate and governor of Arkansas, similarly claimed on Facebook that the CDC test cannot tell the difference between coronaviruses and flu viruses.

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/jul/30/facebook-posts/cdc-test-cant-differentiate-between-covid-and-flu-/

Doctors debunk 15 common misconceptions about the flu and the flu shot - Business Insider

... A couple of reasons why you may still get the flu? 1. You may have been exposed to the virus right before you got the vaccine, so the vaccine didn't have time to kick in. 2. You might be exposed to other strains of the flu that weren't in the vaccine. 3. Your immune system may not have mounted a strong enough response to the vaccine. Or 4, you have some other virus and it's not actually the flu. Myth 5 the flu vaccine is effective for a year. Well, it's typically effective for the entire flu season, which is about 6 months, but then the immunity starts to wane, and also the types of viruses or the strains of viruses that cause infections could mutate...
https://www.businessinsider.com/doctors-debunk-flu-myths-vaccine-shot-symptoms-fever-cough-2020-10

Trump’s strange quibble with his CDC director’s quote reinforces the danger of his coronavirus alternate reality - The Washington Post

It's not the first time Trump has bristled at a health official being too grim about what lay ahead — and the last time arguably cost us dearly....
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/22/trumps-strange-quibble-with-his-cdc-directors-quote-reinforces-danger-his-coronavirus-alternate-reality/

Watch This Medical Expert Give A Perfect Explanation Of Why You Should Stay At Home During The Coronavirus Outbreak - BuzzFeed News

"If you are irresponsible enough to think that you don't mind if you don't get the flu, remember it's not about you, it's about everybody else."
https://www.buzzfeed.com/alanwhite/hugh-montgomery-coronavirus-explanation

No, President Trump, the Coronavirus Is Nothing Like H1N1 Swine Flu Either — ProPublica

In three press briefings and five tweets since March 1, the president has compared his administration’s handling of the coronavirus favorably to the way President Barack Obama’s team dealt with the H1N1 outbreak, which infected 60 million Americans. This comes after Trump spent weeks saying the coronavirus paled in comparison to the seasonal flu, a comparison we debunked over the weekend.
https://www.propublica.org/article/no-president-trump-the-coronavirus-is-nothing-like-h1n1-swine-flu-either

Cartoon: Pandemic panic!

https://www.dailykos.com/story/2020/1/31/1915355/-Cartoon-Pandemic-panic

4-year-old who wasn't vaccinated against flu goes blind from virus | TheHill

A four-year-old Iowa girl was left blind, with an unclear prognosis of whether she will regain her sight, after her family failed to get her vaccinated for the flu this season, according to NBC News....
 https://thehill.com/regulation/healthcare/478024-unvaccinated-4-year-old-goes-blind-from-flu

Why the flu shot cannot give you the flu (and why you should get one now) - The Conversation US

A common myth cited as a reason for not getting the flu shot is that the shot will give you the flu. That is scientifically impossible. Here's why.....
https://theconversation.com/why-the-flu-shot-cannot-give-you-the-flu-and-why-you-should-get-one-now-124257

Kids in border camps are 9 times likelier to die of flu. Trump's team won't vaccinate them - ThinkProgress.org

More than two dozen immigrants, including children, have died in U.S. government custody since President Donald Trump took office. The judicial branch has had to force Trump's administration to provide basic hygiene tools like toothpaste to detained migrant children.....
https://thinkprogress.org/kids-in-border-camps-are-9-times-likelier-to-die-of-flu-trumps-team-wont-vaccinate-them-edca48725469/

Vaccine Rates Against Shingles, Flu And Pneumonia Still Lag : Shots - Health News : NPR

Federal officials have recommended a vaccine against shingles that is more effective than an earlier version at protecting older adults from the painful rash. But persuading many adults to get this and other recommended shots continues to be an uphill battle, health providers say....

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/03/20/594956495/shingles-is-nasty-and-the-new-vaccine-works-well-why-do-adults-avoid-shots