Cold & Flu Health Center

News and Features Related to Cold & Flu

Seasonal Flu Vaccine May Cut Swine Flu Risk

Nov. 20, 2009 - People who got last year's seasonal flu vaccine are at lower risk of H1N1 swine flu illness -- particularly severe disease, a study of U.S. military personnel shows. Overall, getting a seasonal flu shot or sniff cut the risk of swine flu by 45%. It cut the risk of getting a normal ca
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H1N1 Swine Flu Wave Peaking in U.S.?

Nov. 20, 2009 - The current wave of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic may have peaked in the U.S., new CDC figures suggest. A lot of people are still coming down with H1N1 swine flu. New cases -- as measured by the number of health care visits by people with flu symptoms -- remain epidemic in every part o
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Vicks Nasal Spray Recalled

Nov. 20, 2009 - Procter & Gamble has recalled some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray because of possible bacterial contamination. Three lots of the product are affected. The recalled products were distributed in about equal amounts, nationwide, in the U.S., the U.K., and Germany. The contam
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Treating a Child With Swine Flu

What should you do if your child gets H1N1 swine flu? It’s a question many parents are facing this flu season. While the majority of cases for children and teens have been mild, requiring only home treatment, a growing number of children -- some with no underlying medical conditions -- have needed
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22 Million Cases of Swine Flu in U.S.

Nov. 12, 2009 -- H1N1 swine flu has killed more than 4,000 Americans -- perhaps as many as 6,000, the CDC now estimates. Shockingly, 14 million to 34 million U.S. residents -- the CDC's best guess is 22 million -- came down with H1N1 swine flu by Oct. 17, the six-month anniversary of the beginning o
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10 Home Remedies for the Flu

Flu symptoms can cause a world of misery, from fever and cough to sore throat, nasal congestion, aches, and chills. But there are ways to feel better. Prescription antiviral medications may help ease symptoms of both seasonal and H1N1 flu when taken shortly after you get sick. In many cases, however
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How to Get H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine

Nov. 6, 2009 - You can get your H1N1 flu vaccine, but it will take perseverance, patience, and priority status. Priority goes to people at risk of severe flu if they catch the H1N1 swine flu bug: Pregnant women People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months of age Health care workers
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H1N1 Swine Flu Deadly in All Age Groups

Nov. 3, 2009 - H1N1 swine flu isn't always severe, but when it's bad, it's really bad. Patients hospitalized with pandemic flu have an 11% fatality rate, data from California suggest. The pandemic flu bug is far more likely to strike younger people. But when people aged 50 and older get hospitalized
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Swine Flu FAQ

The H1N1 swine flu virus appeared in the U.S. last April and never went away. After sweeping the globe, U.S. H1N1 swine flu cases surged as schools opened in the fall. What is H1N1 swine flu? What can we do about it? WebMD answers your questions. What is swine flu? What are swine flu symptoms? Who i
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Swine Flu Study on N95 Masks Retracted

Nov. 2, 2009 (Philadelphia) -- N95 masks may be no better than ordinary disposable surgical masks at preventing the flu, after all. The same researchers who reported in September that only N95 masks offer significant protection against flu now say a reanalysis of their data shows that just isn't tru
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