Flu Season

The flu season in California this winter is turning out to be one of the mildest in recent years. The number of severe influenza cases resulting in deaths in children is also down. There have been three pediatric influenza-associated deaths so far this winter, with deaths reported in Riverside, Fresno and Alameda counties; in the same time period last winter, there were five pediatric deaths associated with influenza.

It's the latest start for a flu season in 29 years, and thus far, severe cases have been few. But that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have dodged any seasonal illness bullets. Influenza is just beginning to gain a foothold around the country.  "The flu season has officially begun," Dr. Joseph Bresee told reporters Friday morning during a briefing at the agency's headquarters in Atlanta. Infections have reached all 50 states, said Bresee, who is chief of the epidemiology prevention branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's influenza division.

The flu this year is quite obviously a plot and a conspiracy. Evidence? What is it called? Hong Kong flu, right? What happened to Hong Kong this past year? The communists took over! Ah, ha. Clearly, it is a communist plot to take over the U.S. With up to 75% of the population feeling like they were either run over by a truck or hit by a nuclear attack, it's working! DAVE BECKWITH Irvine

As influenza season continues, here's a quick word of advice: If you're sick, do everyone a favor and take a sick day. Don't be the trouper who comes into work hacking and feverish, because it's likely to expose more people to the contagion. Sounds like common sense, in theory. But in truth, taking off work when sick, even for a bug as unforgiving as the flu, is hard to do in practice. Even doctors, ironically, have trouble with it. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health found that up to 80% of physicians surveyed said they had "worked during an illness for which they would have sick-listed their patients.

It's the latest start for a flu season in 29 years, and thus far, severe cases have been few. But that doesn't necessarily mean Americans have dodged any seasonal illness bullets. Influenza is just beginning to gain a foothold around the country.  "The flu season has officially begun," Dr. Joseph Bresee told reporters Friday morning during a briefing at the agency's headquarters in Atlanta. Infections have reached all 50 states, said Bresee, who is chief of the epidemiology prevention branch at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's influenza division.

Advice on how to stay healthy is everywhere, but good advice is harder to find. Here are some stories that can help. Flu season isn't just about getting a flu shot. The Allentown Morning Call reports on three sure-fire "upgrades" in personal hygiene habits that can guard against infectious germs in "Protect against cold and flu. " Going on vacation or business travel shouldn't mean scrapping your daily workout. The Baltimore Sun blog Exercists discusses the benefits of taking your routine on the road in "Exercising on vacation" (hint: a change of scenery is a good thing, exercise-wise)

As influenza season continues, here's a quick word of advice: If you're sick, do everyone a favor and take a sick day. Don't be the trouper who comes into work hacking and feverish, because it's likely to expose more people to the contagion. Sounds like common sense, in theory. But in truth, taking off work when sick, even for a bug as unforgiving as the flu, is hard to do in practice. Even doctors, ironically, have trouble with it. A study in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health found that up to 80% of physicians surveyed said they had "worked during an illness for which they would have sick-listed their patients.

Health officials are expressing concerns about California's preparedness for the upcoming flu season, in which an already strained healthcare system will have to cope with seasonal influenza as well as the swine flu. The California Department of Public Health on Thursday warned that as many as one in four Californians may be sickened this year by swine flu, officially known as the H1N1 strain. Officials are racing to prepare for what is expected to be a large increase in the number of people seeking flu shots because of growing public unease about the swine flu. Interviews with hospital officials this week indicate that medical facilities, doctor's offices and pharmacies still have a way to go to be ready, particularly if this year's flu season is severe.

The start of the school year will undoubtedly bring a rise in H1N1 infections, health and education officials said Friday as they urged parents to practice such precautionary measures with their children as hand-washing and the "Dracula sneeze." Officials also said parents should not panic and keep healthy children home once flu breaks out on campuses. "I want to make sure parents are not afraid to send their children to school if they are well," said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, Los Angeles County's health officer.

From November through March each year, various strains of influenza afflict thousands of people in Los Angeles County. Flus to expect this year include the Taiwan, Shanghai and Yamagata strains. Doctors recommend vaccinations for the elderly and those who are vulnerable to the flu. For information on clinics with free shots through Dec. 15, call the county Health Line at (213) 250-8055 or the county Department of Senior Citizens Affairs at (213) 857-6466 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.

Flu vaccine is available this season in four different types, including a less-painful shot for adults who fear needles, public health leaders reported Wednesday. That development may add to Americans' growing embrace of annual vaccination against influenza. Vaccination rates have soared over the last few years. Federal health officials reported that 43% of Americans ages 6 months and older were vaccinated last year, about 8 million people more than during the 2009 season. About half of all children were vaccinated last year, a 7% increase from 2009 and 22% higher than 2008.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unveiled its analysis of the just-ended flu season, plus its likely strategy for the upcoming flu season. In short: Expect the same plan as last year, folks. The Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the upcoming vaccine against seasonal flu protect against the same three strains as last season's formulation: H1N1 (a type of influenza A), H3N2 (another type of influenza A) and an influenza B, the CDC said in its annual flu season summary and look ahead.

Outbreaks of swine and avian flu worry public-health officials. Having an inexpensive vaccine in plentiful supply is key to controlling an outbreak of these potentially dangerous influenza strains. Researchers on Wednesday reported progress in a different type of flu vaccine that could help meet demand in the case of a pandemic. The scientists, a consortium led by several U.S. government agencies and Novartis, used an oil-in-water adjuvant, called MF59, to produce a flu vaccine. An adjuvant is a substance that is used to boost the effectiveness of the vaccine.

With flu season underway, flu shots are particularly important for very young children. A new study finds that vaccinations do help prevent babies from getting sick. This study at Turku University in Turku, Finland, published Tuesday in the Lancet Infectious Diseases says the 2007-08 vaccine was effective in preventing influenza in children as young as 9 months old. "Our findings suggest that influenza vaccine recommendations should be reassessed in most countries," the study says.

Flu vaccinations for employees can help an employer's bottom line, according to a new study. Research presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Assn., found that for each employee vaccinated an employer can save $63 to $95 per person. Vaccinating an entire 150-person company, for example, could yield savings of between $9,450 and $14,250. The study analyzes the cost of providing flu vaccine to employees and the costs in terms of absenteeism and lost productivity from having some workers out with the flu. The key to big savings, however, is to immunize workers early in the flu season.

Advice on how to stay healthy is everywhere, but good advice is harder to find. Here are some stories that can help. Flu season isn't just about getting a flu shot. The Allentown Morning Call reports on three sure-fire "upgrades" in personal hygiene habits that can guard against infectious germs in "Protect against cold and flu. " Going on vacation or business travel shouldn't mean scrapping your daily workout. The Baltimore Sun blog Exercists discusses the benefits of taking your routine on the road in "Exercising on vacation" (hint: a change of scenery is a good thing, exercise-wise)

One doesn't normally associate avant-garde theater with sweetness. Although it defies easy description, Will Eno's nonlinear romance "The Flu Season," a production by California Repertory at the Edison Theatre, contains a richly humane core that Stefan Novinski emphasizes in his sensitive staging. The action is set in a psychiatric hospital during a harsh winter, a milieu that Eno evokes with Proustian specificity.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unveiled its analysis of the just-ended flu season, plus its likely strategy for the upcoming flu season. In short: Expect the same plan as last year, folks. The Food and Drug Administration has recommended that the upcoming vaccine against seasonal flu protect against the same three strains as last season's formulation: H1N1 (a type of influenza A), H3N2 (another type of influenza A) and an influenza B, the CDC said in its annual flu season summary and look ahead.

Flu season is upon us, and one casualty is the good old-fashioned handshake. Yes, that's right. Nearly 3 in 10 Americans are reluctant to shake your hand because they fear they will catch your germs, according to a survey released Wednesday. You see, germs lurk everywhere. As a result, 21% of those surveyed said they hesitated to shake someone's hand in a bar or restaurant; 19% demurred in a store; 18% kept their hands to themselves at the gym (though presumably plenty of other people touched the StairMaster before them)

We're heading into flu season, which means it's time to think about ... making a video? That's what the California Department of Public Health would like people to consider as they launch their second annual Flu-Fighting Film and Poster Festival . The agency is asking people to come up with short video public service announcements about fighting the flu, including messages about covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands, getting a...