Influenza

When it comes to getting a cold or the flu, there is a commonly held belief that men take it harder than women, exaggerating their symptoms and basically acting like big ol' babies. But is this phenomenon of "man sick" a real thing? We investigate.

Imagine a world in which we never catch the flu, have no need for vaccines and can wipe out the virus if an infection has taken hold. A super-effective molecule that stops influenza from even entering our bodies stands to revolutionize how we treat flu.

Researchers suggest the 1918 influenza pandemic caused a wave of heart disease in the 20th century. With new evidence showing the impact of COVID on our hearts, could this recent pandemic be setting us up for another century of cardiac problems?

A new drug for severe influenza successfully keeps patients at the perfect level of lung inflammation to protect against lung damage while still allowing the immune system to fight off the infection. It's effective in mice even days after infection.

It was only a matter of time, but highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) has officially found its way to Antarctica, after dead migratory brown skuas on Bird Island returned positive test results. This leaves just Oceania free of the deadly virus.

There are signs the next pandemic is already cooking up – bird flu. Scientists have now demonstrated that genetically engineering chickens can reduce their chances of catching and spreading the disease, but it’s not foolproof.

Sure, parts of the world are understandably feeling a bit of vaccine fatigue. But we're not too far off the first combination mRNA jab, which aims to offer seasonal protection against COVID-19 and influenza. Moderna hopes to be first out of the blocks.

Almost 200 years on from when Charles Darwin observed his Galapagos Islands finches, which became the emblems of his theory of evolution, birds in the region are again in the news for what many scientists warn could be the source of the next pandemic.

Adding weight to the large body of scientific evidence that has found phenylephrine is as useless as a placebo for nasal congestion, an advisory panel has declared common oral medications ineffective and urged for them to be removed from sale.

Researchers have just uncovered how the influenza A virus is able to thrive by slicing and dicing genetic material inside our cells while keeping itself intact. The finding might arm researchers with a new way to fight the virus.

Biotech giant Vaxxas has cut the ribbon on a warehouse manufacturing plant for its needle-free patches. After successful trials, the first needle-free, easy to store and easy to administer vaccines are set to be rolled out in as little as three years.

It may seem like snail's pace compared to our COVID-19 vaccines, but the wheels are certainly turning in the development of a universal mRNA influenza vaccine. The latest has just entered trial, with many others at the same stage or even further along.