Month: October 2021

Every fall, as Americans roll up their sleeves to get their annual flu shot, there’s a lingering question: How effective will the vaccine be this year? The answer, according to experts, is we can’t exactly know—but even so, the vaccine is safe and it’s your best protection against becoming seriously ill with influenza. Why does the effectiveness fluctuate each year? If you look at the numbers for how effective the flu vaccine has been at protecting Americans from getting sick with the flu over the past few decades, there is a fairly wide range, from 19% in 2014-15 to 60% in 2010-11. (These numbers mean that, for instance, in 2010-11, 60 percent fewer healthy adults who are vaccinated got the flu compared with those who are unvaccinated.) Why the discrepancy? It’s all a matter of met...

To hug or not to hug? Experts say it depends on where you've been and your personal tolerance for risk. Malaka Gharib/ NPR hide caption toggle caption Malaka Gharib/ NPR To hug or not to hug? Experts say it depends on where you've been and your personal tolerance for risk. Malaka Gharib/ NPR Each week, we answer frequently asked questions about life during the coronavir...

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A decline in COVID-19 cases across the United States over the past several weeks has given overwhelmed hospitals some relief, but administrators are bracing for yet another possible surge as cold weather drives people indoors. Health experts say the fourth wave of the pandemic has peaked overall in the U.S., particularly in the Deep South, where hospitals were stretched to the limit weeks ago. But many Northern states are still struggling with rising cases, and what’s ahead for winter is far less clear. Unknowns include how flu season may strain already depleted hospital staffs and whether those who have refused to get vaccinated will change their minds. An estimated 70 million eligible Americans remain unvaccinated, providing kindling for the highly contagious delta ...