Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After 'Especially Difficult' Flu Season, FDA Panel To Weigh Changes To Next Year's Vaccine
The Hill: FDA Advisory Committee To Analyze Changing Flu Vaccine For Next Year
A Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee will consider whether to change the flu vaccine for next year as the country faces a worse-than-expected flu season. The FDA convenes a panel annually to analyze what will make up next flu season’s vaccine. The panel examines the World Health Organization’s recommendations to help decide the composition of the next year’s shots. (Roubein, 2/26)
The Associated Press: Flu Shot Doesn't Cause Influenza Epidemic
You can't get the flu from a flu shot. And public health officials aren't blaming the vaccine for causing this season's nasty epidemic. Some "natural" health websites have misrepresented remarks of a Wisconsin county public health nurse, Anna Treague, who was trying to explain to a local newspaper why this year's influenza vaccine was not as effective as other years. (2/26)
And from the states —
Kansas City Star: Flu Peaks Nationally, But Not In Kansas, CDC Says
Don't be lulled by reports that this year's awful flu season is finally on the wane. Here in Kansas City, that's only half true. After weeks of influenza unlike anything the country had seen in almost a decade, the Centers for Disease Control said last week that flu cases may have finally peaked nationally. But while Missouri appears to be joining the rest of the country on the downslope, cases in Kansas are still stubbornly sticking at their highest levels. (Marso, 2/26)
Georgia Health News: It’s Not Over, But Rough Flu Season Finally Receding
Hospitalizations for flu in the eight-county metro Atlanta area were far lower in the week of Feb. 11 through 17 than in the previous week, down to 91 from 165. And the proportion of outpatient visits for flu-like illness in Georgia was 11.9 percent, down from 15.2 percent. (Miller, 2/26)
California Healthline: At Some California Hospitals, Fewer Than Half Of Workers Get The Flu Shot
How well are doctors, nurses and other workers at your local hospital vaccinated against the flu? That depends on the hospital. According to data from the California Department of Public Health, flu vaccination rates among health care staffers at the state’s acute care hospitals range from a low of 37 percent to 100 percent. (Wiener, 2/27)
