Ph. Fajar Arifiyanto/Shutterstock.com James Hay, University of Oxford The NHS is facing severe pressure this winter as flu cases surge earlier than usual, with some calling it “super flu”. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s flu season and how to protect yourself. What is ‘super flu’? Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS
Gemma Ware, The Conversation The 40 scientists who decide which flu shot you’ll get: https://player.captivate.fm/episode/c7765a5a-8f7d-4ab2-870e-90e4b48ca3da Listen and subscribe: https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/561/4fbbd099d631750693d02bac632430b71b37cd5f/site/index.html Twice a year, 40 scientists gather together for five days to decide what strains of influenza to vaccinate against for the next flu season. It takes around six months to prepare the vaccine –
Malaria remains a deadly threat for pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa, often leading to miscarriage, stillbirth, low birthweight and serious illness. Now, an EU-funded collaborative research project is aiming to protect women before they become pregnant – an approach that could transform maternal and newborn health in regions where malaria is endemic. Dr Flavia
Yap Boum, Mbarara University of Science and Technology The Ebola virus devastated west Africa in 2014, claiming over 11,000 lives in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea. It was the largest Ebola outbreak since the virus had first been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976. Ebola is a terrifying virus which,
In 2005, an American triathlete named Jon Blais was diagnosed with an incurable neurodegenerative disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. He was 33 years old. Given no more than five years to live, Blais set about ticking off his final bucket-list challenge: the annual “Ironman World Championship” in the US state
A 62-year-old man was bitten by a tick while hiking through fields in Spain. Two days later he began to feel ill and was taken to a hospital in Madrid, where his condition deteriorated rapidly. He died on the ninth day of his illness. This was in 2016 and proved to be the
Rachana Pradhan December 2, 2022 After finding success investing in the more obviously lucrative corners of American medicine — like surgery centers and dermatology practices — private equity firms have moved aggressively into the industry’s more hidden niches: They are pouring billions into the business of clinical drug trials. To bring a new
Influenza viruses are responsible for millions of cases globally and significantly threaten public health. Since pandemic and zoonotic influenza viruses have emerged in the last 20 years and some of the viruses have resulted in high mortality in humans, a universal influenza vaccine is needed to provide comprehensive protection against a wide range
With Abdala, Soberana 02 and Soberana Plus, Cuba has developed three highly effective protein vaccines against Covid-19. After the third vaccination, they provide 90% protection against severe symptomatic courses. Unlike mRNA and vector vaccines, protein vaccines are cheaper and easier to produce and store. Cuba’s willingness to share knowledge of vaccine development and
Many countries are experiencing a resurgence of COVID-19, driven predominantly by the delta (B.1.617.2) variant of SARS-CoV-2. In response, these countries are considering the administration of a third dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine as a booster dose to address potential waning immunity over time and reduced effectiveness against the delta variant. We aimed