From the Journals
NIAID proposes 3-pronged plan for universal influenza vaccine
Three-pronged NIAID plan will focus on research needed to develop a universal influenza vaccine.
Outpatient influenza-like illness activity continues to drop, but pediatric deaths for 2017-2018 are already higher than either of the last two entire seasons, according to the Centers for Disease and Prevention.
An additional 17 influenza-like illness-related (ILI) pediatric deaths were reported during the week ending Feb. 24, eight of which occurred in previous weeks. That brings the total to 114 for the 2017-2018 flu season so far, compared with 110 for the entire 2016-2017 season and 93 for the 2015-2016 season, the CDC reported Mar. 2.
The proportion of outpatient visits for ILI took another big drop, falling to 5.0% for the week, which was down from 6.4% the previous week and the seasonal high of 7.4% the 2 weeks before that (Feb. 10 and Feb. 3), CDC data show.
Flu-related hospitalizations, however, continued to rise to new highs, as the cumulative rate hit 81.7 per 100,000 population. In 2014-2015, the season with the highest number of hospitalizations since the CDC started keeping track, the cumulative rate for the corresponding week was 55.9 per 100,000, according to the CDC’s Fluview website.
