So sayeth the World Health Organization (WHO)—and they should know, since they were the ones who declared a full, phase six-level pandemic a little more than a year ago. Now it’s done—this morning WHO head Dr. Margaret Chan announced that the group’s emergency committee of top flu experts had convinced her that the pandemic had …
Flu
More Evidence Favoring Flu Vaccines in Pregnancy
Pregnant and considering whether or not to get a flu vaccine? Three new studies—as well as a growing body of research related to the effects of flu on the developing fetus—suggest that vaccination is the best option. In the studies, vaccinated women who were pregnant during flu season were much less likely to have premature or …
Avoiding Bogus Flu Remedies
The World Health Organization says it’s maintaining its estimate that swine flu — the virus better known now as “novel H1N1″ — will infect some 2 billion people before the pandemic is over. That’s almost a third of the world’s population, and a scary thought. So this seems as good a time as any to figure out what’s fact and what’s …
Study Finds Swine Flu More Dangerous for Pregnant Women
According to a study published in this week’s issue of the British medical journal The Lancet, pregnant women who suffer from a case of the swine flu are at a higher risk for complications — and disease severity — than other people. The regular flu is generally more dangerous for pregnant women anyhow, but, according to the analysis, …
