Cold and Flu News & Features

Parents who didn't take their children for a flu shot last year are least likely to do so this year (less than a third), while parents who took their child for a flu shot last year were most likely to do so again (96%), according to the survey.

A new U.S. study finds that cold weather is responsible for most temperature-related deaths in Illinois.

An increased vaccination rate among grade schoolers in California was associated with a decrease in flu hospitalizations for folks in every other age bracket, researchers report.

The G4 virus is genetically descended from the H1N1 swine flu that caused a pandemic in 2009, CNN reported.

These findings suggest that rapid weather changes associated with climate change will increase the risk of flu epidemics in densely populated areas. For example, Europe could have a 50% increase in flu-related deaths, according to the researchers.

The investigators identified the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody in their study of 535 children with central nervous system demyelinating disorders and encephalitis.

Knowing who is at a higher risk each year could help tailor pandemic and epidemic planning, the researchers say.

The flu season has picked up steam again, causing large numbers of infections in 47 states and giving the season a rare second peak.

The coma was the scariest, John says. "When I woke up, I thought it was still the day after Christmas," he says, "and it was actually New Year's Day."

The agency warned Gojo Industries that unsubstantiated claims that Purell can help prevent illnesses such as the flu, Ebola virus, norovirus and the MRSA superbug violate federal laws, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

There is a virus that has already sickened at least 13 million Americans this winter, hospitalizing 120,000 and killing 6,600 people. You may even know of it.

Fueled by a strain of influenza that children may be especially vulnerable to, less than two months into flu season 39 children have already died, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research has shown that young men with fevers had increases in their resting heart rate of about 8.5 beats per minute (bpm) for about every 2-degree Fahrenheit increase in body temperature.

According to the CDC's estimates, there have been at least 9.7 million illnesses, 87,000 hospitalizations, and 4,800 deaths from flu this season.

“Influenza-like illness," also called “flu-like illness,” is a more wide-ranging category.

Jade DeLucia, 4, of Iowa may be going home today after a bout of the flu landed her in the intensive care unit fighting for her life and her eyesight.

Parents of small children should be concerned because the B strain is proving more dangerous for kids.

Still think hand sanitizers work just as well as soap and water? A recent classroom experiment gone viral might change your mind.

The investigators found that only 24.5% said their centers required children to have a flu shot, and only 13% required adult caregivers to have a flu shot.

Six children ages 16 and younger have died from flu-related causes in Texas since the flu season began in late September as the earlier-than-usual start to the season has caught many people off guard.

Patients with influenza A were about 70% less likely to also be infected with rhinovirus, a source of the common cold, than patients infected with other virus types.

Germs live and thrive in the workplace. Find out about germ hot spots, when contamination is at its worst, and how to protect yourself.

Prevention efforts have reduced deaths from antibiotic-resistant bugs by 18% overall and by nearly 30% in hospitals, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed Nov. 13 in an update of its Antibiotic Resistance Threats in the United States report.

Proper hand-washing with soap and water is one of the best ways to protect yourself during the cold and flu season, an expert says.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is looking for volunteers to be infected with the virus on purpose, those who are brave enough will receive up to $3,300 in return.