Category: Influenza

Can Pregnant Workers Receive and Administer Flu Vaccines? Yes!

Every flu season, NIOSH gets questions from pregnant workers about the flu and flu vaccines. Here are the answers to some of your most frequently asked questions, including getting the flu shot at work and administering flu shots to patients.   Can I get a flu shot if I’m pregnant? Yes. CDC and the American Read More >

Posted on by Candice Johnson, PhD,;Christina Lawson, PhD; Carissa Rocheleau, PhD; and CAPT Amy Parker Fiebelkorn, MSN, MPH1 Comment

Using Worker Absenteeism to Track the Flu

Is flu on the rise among workers? Those working in public health track the number of flu-related hospital and doctor visits, but many people suffer symptoms and don’t seek medical treatment. So, how do we know how many people are sick with the flu during a flu pandemic or a seasonal epidemic? Each year, the Read More >

Posted on by Matthew R. Groenewold, PhD7 Comments

Work Arrangement and Access to and Use of Healthcare Services

Workers Memorial Day is observed annually on April 28 to recognize workers who suffered or died because of exposures to hazards at work. The April 27, 2018, CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) contributed to the Worker Memorial Day remembrance with an article on fatalities in the fishing industry and a QuickStats, highlighted in Read More >

Posted on by Regina Pana-Cryan, PhD; Roger R. Rosa, PhD; and Abay Asfaw, PhD3 Comments

Healthcare Personnel Working with Flu-like Illness

Most of the United States is experiencing widespread and intense influenza activity. Indicators used to track influenza-like-activity are higher than what was seen during the peak of the 2014-2015 season, the most recent season characterized as being of “high” severity. A NIOSH study recently published in the American Journal of Infection Control found that more Read More >

Posted on by Sophia Chiu, MD, MPH4 Comments

Flu Virus Generated in Coughs and Exhalations

It’s flu season. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research on protecting health care providers and other workers from infectious diseases including influenza.   A significant portion of our research deals with understanding how the influenza virus is transmitted. Influenza is known to be transmitted through respiratory secretions containing the virus. Airborne Read More >

Posted on by William G. Lindsley, PhD3 Comments

Catching the Flu: NIOSH Research on Airborne Influenza Transmission

As we enter another influenza season, one question continues to vex medical and public health professionals:  How do you stop people from catching the flu? The best way to prevent the flu is by getting an influenza vaccine every year. However, in the event of a large-scale influenza outbreak of a new virus strain or Read More >

Posted on by William G. Lindsley, PhD 35 Comments

Influenza Pandemic and the Protection of Healthcare Workers with Personal Protective Equipment

NIOSH is committed to ensuring that its research is relevant and making a difference in the lives of workers. As such, in 2005, NIOSH asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to form a standing committee to provide strategic guidance in addressing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) issues for workers. One issue the committee deemed of high importance is PPE for healthcare workers in the event of pandemic influenza. Read More >

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