Mutations

H5 influenza vaccines: What needs to be done to reduce the risk of a pandemic As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and ... Science X Medical Xpress

As the global threat of H5N1 influenza looms with outbreaks across species and continents including the U.S., three international vaccine and public health experts say it is time to fully resource and support a robust strategy to address this and future potential pandemic influenza threats, including to consider voluntary vaccination for those now at exposure risk.

‘Most people are confused’: What to know about the latest Covid shot While the risk of hospitalization and death is nowhere near what it was in 2021, there is still a danger, particularly for the elderly or those with compromised immune systems. POLITICO

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“One of the challenges of today is just that people aren’t going to get vaccinated,” said Michael Osterholm, an epidemiologist and director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. “Most people are confused. They don’t really understand what’s happening or what the risk to them is,” when it comes to Covid.

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COVID update: Map shows highest US rates as new variant spreads The new KP.3.1.1 accounts for more than 1 in 3 cases as it continues to spread across the country, with some states more affected than others. Newsweek

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New data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the highest rates of infection are found in five Southern/Southwestern states, with nearly 1 in 4 COVID tests coming out positive across Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. ...