Influenza (flu)
Can We Fight Flu at the Same Time as COVID-19?
Shortly before flu season, public health experts got worried. Americans were encouraged to get their flu shots right away. The goal was to prevent double trouble: influenza on top of COVID-19. They di…
Experts Warn of Possible Pandemic Yet to Come
Is there another possible pandemic lurking around the corner? Public health officials are concerned that the world might have to deal with another serious health threat on top of COVID-19. A Possible …
Show 1208: Keeping Kids Healthy in the Age of Co…
Schools are closed and kids are home so that they don’t catch COVID-19 and spread it to family members. Of course, parents don’t want their children to get sick, either. How are we keeping kids he…
Will Tamiflu Side Effects Stop You from Taking I…
When COVID-19 infections are stalking the land, turning life upside and killing people, it may be tough to pay attention to influenza. However, flu season is not yet over. Although it is less exotic, …
Did This Year’s Flu Shot Work for Adults? NOPE…
Every fall the CDC tells all Americans to get the influenza vaccine. The point of the exercise is to prevent the flu! That seems like a great public health initiative, especially now that the world is…
Can Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) Help People Recover Fr…
Coronavirus has been capturing headlines around the world for good reason. We are getting closer to 100,000 people infected with COVID-19. It won’t be long before 2,000 deaths will have been reporte…
Protecting Yourself from the Flu with Tamiflu
The flu season this year started early and has been atypical, with type B influenza dominating first. At this point, however, influenza is widespread in most of the country. (Here's a link to the CDC …
Can a Mask Help Protect You from Flu?
During flu season, people want to know how they can keep from catching it. Public health experts are happy to give advice. Most of the time, however, it boils down to just two items: get a flu shot an…
Coronavirus Freak Out: Is It Justified or Overbl…
The headlines have been relentless. Coronavirus continues to dominate health news around the world. There is an international coronavirus freak out. Face masks, including those purchased in pharmacies…
FDA Cracks Down on Claims for Hand Sanitizers
When infections like colds or influenza are spreading rapidly, people may rely on hand sanitizers to try to stay healthy. Public health experts acknowledge that hand hygiene is crucial for disease pre…
Should You Take Antiviral Drugs If You Catch the…
The Chinese coronavirus is capturing headlines around the world and for good reason. This infection is spreading very fast in China and people are dying. It has also been identified in several other c…
Long Lasting Shoulder Pain After Flu Shot
Getting a flu shot is supposed to be your best protection against influenza. Since September we have all been encouraged to get our flu shot. Most of the reports we have seen this year suggest that th…
Will the 2019/2020 Flu Season Be Terrible?
How bad will the 2019/2020 flu season get? Nobody knows for sure, but infectious disease experts say we are off to a rocky start. The 2019/2020 Flu Season Started Early: Last year, the flu season last…
Strange Start To Flu Season: How Good Is the Vac…
Flu season is starting off with a twist this year. For one thing, it is a bit early. Doctors were seeing a fair amount of flu already by mid-November. In general, people don’t usually get sick with …
Some Steamy Strategies to Prevent Influenza
Have you ever wondered why people catch the flu right around this time of year? Fall and winter are the worst seasons for upper respiratory tract infections like colds or influenza. That’s true in E…
Which Influenza Vaccine Is Better for You?
Getting an influenza vaccine seems straightforward. You go to your doctor’s office and a nurse administers a flu shot. These days you can also get jabbed in the arm at your local pharmacy. In truth,…
What Is the Impact of Herbal Treatments for Coug…
Cold and cough season is well underway in most parts of the country by now. Are there natural approaches to help you stay healthy? And if you do come down with a cold or other respiratory infection, c…
All About KayaBiotics
The People's Pharmacy radio show and podcast appreciates support from its sponsors. One of our sponsors is KayaBiotics, a German company that makes high-quality probiotics from all-organic ingredients…
Should You Get Your Flu Shot Now? How Well Will …
The signs are up at pharmacies that you should get your flu shot ASAP! Public health authorities are already sounding warnings about the coming flu season. It won’t be long before television news an…
Flu Vaccine Failures Are Quickly Forgotten
Did you get a flu shot last year? If so, you were not alone. Tens of millions of people got jabbed last fall hoping to prevent influenza. Every public health organization put on a full-court press enc…
Doctor Disses Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) Against Flu
Watch out, there’s a second wave of nasty influenza starting to circulate. Even though it seems as if spring is right around the corner, a lot of people are suffering from this badass H3N2 strain of…
Watch Out for a Second Wave of Flu
By the end of 2018, influenza activity was heavy around the country. This year, the predominant strain of influenza virus causing infection was H1N1. It caused less severe illness and fewer hospitaliz…
Overdosing on Xofluza for Flu Led to Devastating…
Did you know that there is a new flu drug in town? The FDA approved baloxavir (Xofluza) to treat influenza on October 24, 2018. In its announcement, the FDA stated “'This is the first new antiviral …
What Happened to Cod Liver Oil as a Home Remedy?
The origin of many a home remedy is lost in the mists of time. Usually we don't have a good record of who started using it or when, and we also rarely have information on when and how it falls out of …
What Should You Know About Xofluza Side Effects?
Whenever a new drug is introduced, we want to know two things: how well does it work? and also, what are the side effects? We recently wrote about the flu medicine Xofluza, which shortens the duration…
Did the Maker Recall Ibuprofen for Your Baby?
Parents across the country have been alarmed today to hear that some brands of ibuprofen sold as fever medicine for infants have been recalled. What led the manufacturer, Tris Pharma Inc., to recall i…
Will Xofluza Help You Recover from the Flu Quick…
It’s been almost two decades since the FDA approved a pill to treat influenza. It was oseltamivir, also known as Tamiflu. Last week, the agency approved a new flu pill, Xofluza. What Is the Story on…
How Can You Avoid the Flu This Season?
It’s that time again. The signs are up in pharmacies to get your flu shot. TV anchors are telling their viewers that last year’s influenza season was bad, really bad! Is there any way you can avoi…
Should You Be Scared of the Upcoming Flu Season?
The CDC is doing its best to scare you. The public health experts want you to rush out and get a flu shot. The headlines have been designed to motivate: For example, The Chicago Tribune reported “Fl…
Security Line Is the Germiest Spot in the Airpor…
Traveling can expose you lots of germs. People often worry about airplane air, but in reality, it is well filtered. A little recognized source of contamination is lurking in the security line. What's …
Extra Summer Sunshine Makes for Milder Flu Seaso…
Extra end-of-summer sunshine might mitigate the flu season that follows, according to a new study (National Bureau of Economic Research, Feb., 2018). Scientists found that when a state gets 10 percent…
Will Wearing a Face Mask Protect Against the Flu…
Every year public health officials encourage people to do two things to reduce the risk of catching the flu. 1) Get a flu shot. 2) Wash your hands! We rarely, if ever, see or hear messages about weari…
Flu Myths and Misconceptions about the Vaccine
People are still suffering from the flu. Many are understandably worried sick, especially for their children. That's because there are reports almost every day about additional deaths from this year's…
Why People with Flu Should Stay Home from Work
The CDC urges everyone who comes down with flu symptoms like coughs, fever and muscle aches to stay home from work. Ideally, they would stay at home and away from other people who might catch the infe…
Can Kefir Help You Recover from an Infection?
Have you been looking for a way to boost your immune system? Especially during the season when colds and flu are rampant, many people would like to know how to recover from an infection more readily. …
Why Does the Flu Kill So Many Healthy People?
Influenza continues to make millions of people sick around the country. There have been way too many deaths. Clearly, this year’s influenza epidemic caught health professionals by surprise, even tho…
Oseltamivir | Tamiflu Did Not Work. What Went Wr…
The influenza epidemic that is sweeping North America has a lot of people freaked out. And with good reason. Headlines have reported “Killer flu.” There is a growing tally of deaths from this year…
Will The Influenza Vaccine Protect You from Flu&…
This year’s flu epidemic is stretching hospitals to the limit. Every state is affected. Here is a link to the most recent map from the CDC (Jan 6, 2018). You will note that all states are reporting …
Is the Flu Worse Than Usual This Year?
This year, the flu season may be shaping up to be worse than usual. In California, health officials estimate that this may be the most severe season in a decade. What could make the flu worse? Which F…
Should You Worry About Germs on Your Coffee Cup …
Do you pay attention when you visit your local coffee shop? Can you observe the person who fills your mug or places the lid on your paper cup? Does that person wear disposable gloves? We are constantl…