As autumn arrives and thoughts turn to pumpkins, football, and Thanksgiving dinner, it is time for health systems and physicians to prepare for the upcoming influenza season. In this issue of the Journal, Drs. Jin and Mossad (page 777) review some practical virology and remind us why we must continue to encourage our patients and staff to be immunized against the flu. Last year the flu season w...

We define a new parameter to quantify the antigenic distance between two H3N2 influenza strains: we use this parameter to measure antigenic distance between circulating H3N2 strains and the closest vaccine component of the influenza vaccine. For the data between 1971 and 2004, the measure of antigenic distance correlates better with efficacy in humans of the H3N2 influenza A annual vaccine than...

BACKGROUND Development of influenza vaccines capable of inducing broad protection against different virus subtypes is necessary given the ever-changing viral genetic landscape. Previously, we showed that vaccination with whole inactivated virus (WIV) induces heterosubtypic protection against lethal virus infection in mice. Whole inactivated virus-induced cross-protection was found to be mediate...

This article examines flu vaccination beliefs and practices produced during a survey of undergraduate students in Spring 2012 (IRB#10-732). This research uses the methods of rhetorical analysis - or the study of persuasive features and arguments used in language - to examine statements respondents made regarding flu and flu vaccine. In these responses, students generated unique categories of ar...

PURPOSE To investigate whether support for vaccines among one's health discussants is associated with beliefs in vaccine safety and intention to vaccinate among college students. METHODS Ordered logistic regression analysis was conducted of data collected from 1,019 undergraduates at a large public university in 2009 and 2010. RESULTS Having health discussion networks that support vaccinati...

Introduction / objectives In the US, immunization for many vaccine preventable illnesses are mandated as a condition of employment, but Influenza (flu) has not been mandatory. Despite 1986 Center for Disease Control recommendations that healthcare workers be vaccinated annually for flu, the US national average is 61.9%. Patient & employee safety / preventing nosocomial infections are central to...

Vaccine development usually takes around 7 y to come the market after getting necessary regulatory approvals. But recent pandemics like Covid, Ebola, Swine Flu, have resulted in collaboration of efforts between government doing investments vaccine development, academia, bodies, and industry. This has shortened timelines for approval vaccines. In 2009, HINI, flu vaccines took 93 d identifying ca...

BACKGROUND A well targeted flu vaccine strategy can ensure that vaccines go to those who are at the highest risk of getting infected if unvaccinated. However, prior research has not explicitly examined the association between the risk of flu infection and vaccination rates. PURPOSE This study examines the relationship between the risk of flu infection and the probability of getting vaccinated...

OBJECTIVES To assess the association between levels of worry about the possibility of catching swine flu and the volume of media reporting about it; the role of psychological factors in predicting likely uptake of the swine flu vaccine; and the role of media coverage and advertising in predicting other swine flu-related behaviours. DESIGN Data from a series of random-digit-dial telephone surv...