Influenza Perspective

• Vaccine Science Taken Hostage? Paul Offit Responds Paul Offit responds to a column in the New York Times that claims there is a 'conspiracy of silence' among vaccine scientists about the harms of vaccines.
  Medscape Infectious Diseases, August 2018
• Which Vaccines Do Pregnant Women Need? New, All-in-One Resource ACOG provides a neatly packaged summary of vaccines for childbearing women to protect not only themselves, but their infants as well. Which vaccines are safe and which should be avoided?
  Medscape Ob/Gyn, July 2018
• FluMist: Flu Vaccine Option or 'Last Resort'?   Dr Paul Offit discusses the 'new, improved' FluMist and clarifies competing recommendations for its use.
  Medscape Infectious Diseases, June 2018
• The Chinese Cough Syrup That's All the Rage An increasingly popular traditional medicine remedy, Nin Jiom pei pa koa seems to have all the right ingredients to help relieve cough--but does scientific support exist for using this product?
  Medscape Pharmacists, June 2018
• Sometimes Doctors Need to Be Nudged A good electronic record system can help doctors remember to do what they wanted to do anyway.
  Medscape Diabetes & Endocrinology, April 2018
• Are Pharmacists Your Competitors or Your Collaborators? As physicians struggle to keep up with demand for their services, pharmacists are picking up some of that business. Many physicians are comfortable with this, but others feel differently.
  Medscape Business of Medicine, April 2018
• Parents vs Doctor: Who Is Really in Charge?   In most cases, medical treatment decisions for children are made without much conflict between parents and physicians. Sometimes, however, there is an issue. Should parental authority be overridden?
  Medscape Business of Medicine, March 2018
• Influenza and MRSA Pneumonia   Dr Paul Auwaerter discusses the antimicrobial options for postinfluenza MRSA pneumonia, and makes the case for a universal flu vaccine.
  Medscape Infectious Diseases, March 2018
• 2018 ACIP Immunization Schedules: Key Changes Drs David Kim and Candice Robinson, from the CDC, provide a brief bulleted summary of the key changes clinicians should know.
  CDC Expert Commentary, February 2018
• Influenza Deaths in Children: Putting It Into Context   The media reports of influenza-related deaths in children are frightening. How does this year compare with prior years?
  CHOP Expert Commentary, February 2018
• Influenza or Influenza-like Illness: Does It Matter? Dr Andrew Pavia sheds light on the differences between ILI and flu, including the use of antivirals.
  Medscape Infectious Diseases, February 2018
• Health Proverbs: A Kernel of Truth or Just Plain Corny? If health proverbs aren't true, why have they hung around for so long? See what you think of these long-standing aphorisms.
  Medscape Family Medicine, February 2018
• Influenza Strikes Again: 100 Years After Great Pandemic As we mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the pandemic -- which swept across the globe in three waves, killing tens of millions of people -- we look at what's changed since 1918.
  Medscape Features Slideshows, February 2018
• Lessons From the Front Lines of the Influenza Outbreak   As the 2017-18 flu season rages on, experts discuss the best ways to help vulnerable patients.
  Medscape Emergency Medicine, February 2018
• Lives Are Saved Even With a 'Less Effective' Vaccine   Dr Paul Offit explains the various ways the flu virus can mutate away from the strains in the vaccine, as it has in the 2017-2018 season.
  Medscape Infectious Diseases, January 2018
• Missing Influenza in Our Older Patients   Dr Arefa Cassoobhoy highlights a recent study suggesting that we might not see typical flu symptoms in the elderly.
  Medscape Internal Medicine, January 2018
• 2018 Influenza Antiviral Recommendations Prevention through vaccination is best, but when influenza strikes, use antiviral options for treatment.
  CDC Expert Commentary, December 2017
• Withdrawing Therapy in Patients With Arthritis   Dr Jonathan Kay reviews three studies evaluating three different withdrawal strategies for patients with arthritis, from the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting.
  Medscape Rheumatology, December 2017
• Top News From ACR 2017: Slideshow A highly anticipated trial probing the benefit of stopping methotrexate for 2 weeks after flu vaccination to boost immune response in RA patients is among the meeting highlights.
  Medscape News Slideshows, November 2017
• The Flu Shot During Pregnancy: Safe and Effective After a study linked miscarriage with the flu vaccine, many pregnant women became reluctant to receive it. Here's what clinicians should tell pregnant women to reassure them about the safety of the flu vaccine.
  Medscape Ob/Gyn, November 2017