Science & Research
Flu and COVID-19 Antiviral Treatments
Once you’ve taken a diagnostic test and have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or flu, what can you do? You don’t have to just sit at home and wait it out – instead, there are treatment options! Below, we outline how flu and COVID-19 antivirals compare: Similarities: How they work: antivirals work to stop the virus…
Read MoreFlu Deaths vs. COVID-19 Deaths
According to the World Health Organization, 290,000 to 650,000 people die of flu-related causes every year worldwide. COVID-19 has killed over 5 million people worldwide in just 2 years. But how do flu and COVID-19 deaths compare in the United States? On average in the United States, as shown in the graph below, people are…
Read MoreWhy Children Need Both Flu & COVID-19 Vaccines
The following article is guest authored by Dr. Alexandria Yarborough, PharmD. She is a Pharmacy Manager in South Carolina and a Families Fighting Flu Advocate. Although we are a nonprofit dedicated to flu, we see many similarities between COVID-19 and influenza. Now that COVID-19 vaccines are available for children 5 and older, we encourage children…
Read More6 Tips For Safer Thanksgiving Travel
The following article is guest authored by Dr. Alexandria Yarborough, PharmD. She is a Pharmacy Manager in South Carolina and a Families Fighting Flu Advocate. COVID-19 infections are on the rise as temperatures drop and holiday plans are made. Unfortunately, an estimated 100 million Americans have yet to receive a single dose of any COVID-19…
Read MoremRNA Technology Offers Hope for Flu Vaccine Advancements
The COVID-19 pandemic made vaccines a daily topic in news, popular culture, and even conversations among friends. Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology in particular was thrust in the spotlight as two COVID-19 vaccines using mRNA, from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were authorized for emergency use by the FDA. mRNA vaccines are a new approach to vaccination, but…
Read MoreRecent Study Outlines Pillars for Successful Vaccination Efforts
A recent study published by Drugs in Context identifies 42 key factors, spread across five main pillars, for successful flu vaccination programs. The study analyzed the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada as countries that consistently have the highest influenza vaccine coverage rates (VCR). The goal of the study was to provide a roadmap…
Read MoreDoes the Flu Vaccine Work?
We often hear that people do not get the flu vaccine because of they think it doesn’t work – they still got the flu! But did you know that flu vaccine effectiveness also looks at protection against hospitalization and even death? Flu vaccination benefits: a look at 2019-2020 Based on studies, preliminary flu vaccine effectiveness…
Read MoreA Thanksgiving Reflection: Thank You to the Scientists and Researchers
Families Fighting Flu Chief Operations Officer Serese Marotta reflects on the Thanksgiving season. Before I lost my sweet 5-year-old boy Joseph to the flu in 2009, I only knew enough about the virus to know that we should be vaccinated. Did I think the flu killed healthy children and adults? Absolutely not. I did not…
Read MoreCOVID-19 vs. Flu: How Do They Compare? Part 2
In our last blog post about COVID-19 versus flu, we covered some of the major differences between these two viruses. With flu season around the corner, it’s important to understand how these two viruses can be similar and different. Prevention COVID-19 and influenza are both respiratory viruses that are passed through respiratory droplets from person-to-person.…
Read MoreWhat Influenza Pandemics Can Teach Us About COVID-19
To flu researchers and advocates, pandemics are nothing new; most past pandemics have been caused by flu viruses. In the past 100+ years there have been four flu pandemics: 1918, 1957-58, 1968, and 2009. Here, we will outline what we have learned from past flu pandemics, specifically the 1918 pandemic, that can be applied as…
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