Flu | Blogs

Operation Shortbread Is Not Your ‘Cookie Cutter’ MCM Exercise

A line of vehicles at a point of dispensing drill

December 4 is National Cookie Day, which—from a public health perspective—is what makes the scratch-made story of Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services’ Operation Shortbread a fitting one to tell this time of year. What do cookies have to do with public health, you ask? Before we answer that question, let’s begin with Read More >

December 3, 2018 by Kelcie A. Landon, MPH, Health Communication Specialist, Center for Preparedness and Response, Division of State and Local Readiness5 Comments

Disease Outbreak, Flu, General, preparedness, response

anthrax, Bake Cookies Day, Baltimore, cookies, MCM, medical countermeasures, Operation Shortbread, personal health, PHEP, pod, point of dispensing, public health, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program

Partnerships Help Save Lives When Disaster Strikes

Package of Oseltamivir (i.e., Tamiflu) capsules.

Public health emergencies occur every day across the United States. Tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, infectious disease outbreaks, terrorist attacks, and other emergencies have all occurred within the past few years and likely will happen again. Communities must be ready in the event of a public health emergency – both those they expect and those that Read More >

November 5, 2018 by Germaine M. Vazquez, MS, Health Communication Specialist, Center for Preparedness and Response, Division of State and Local ReadinessLeave a comment

Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, response

California, emergency, flu, Illinois, influenza, Maine, PHEP, public health, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program, Sonoma County, Stories from the Field, Tamiflu, Vinylhaven, Waterborne, wildfire

3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands. Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important Read More >

October 15, 2018 by David M. Berendes, PhD, MSPH, Epidemiologist15 Comments

Disease Outbreak, Flu, General, natural disasters, preparedness, prevention, response

disaster, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, Environmental Health, flood, floodwater, flu, Global Handwashing Day, handwashing, Hurricane, influenza, outbreak, pandemic, personal health, Personal Preparedness, Prepare Your Health, public health, school, Waterborne

Personal Protective Actions You Can Take in a Flu Pandemic

Period photo of a flu patients during the 1918 influenza pandemic.

Every fall and winter the United States experiences epidemics of seasonal influenza (flu). Sometimes a flu pandemic occurs due to a new flu virus that spreads and causes illnesses around the world. We cannot predict when a flu pandemic will occur, but over the past 100 years, we have documented four flu pandemics resulting in Read More >

September 10, 2018 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Community Interventions for Infection Control Unit (CI-ICU)3 Comments

Disease Outbreak, Flu, Preparedness Month, prevention

community mitigation measures, flu, handwashing, influenza, Nonpharmaceutical interventions, pandemic, personal protective measures, pneumonia, public health, social distancing, vaccine

The 1918 Flu Pandemic: Why It Matters 100 Years Later

100 years ago, an influenza (flu) pandemic swept the globe, infecting an estimated one-third of the world’s population and killing at least 50 million people. The pandemic’s death toll was greater than the total number of military and civilian deaths from World War I, which was happening simultaneously. At the time, scientists had not yet Read More >

May 14, 2018 by Blog Administrator63 Comments

Disease Outbreak, Flu, prevention

1918, 1918 flu, flu, H1N1, influenza, non-pharmaceutical interventions, NPIs, pandemic, public health, vaccination, vaccine

6 Things You Need to Know About This Flu Season

Sick boy lying in bed having his temperature taken with a thermometer.

Seasonal flu activity has been intense this season. As of February 16, 2018 most of the United States continues to experience intense and widespread flu activity, with record-breaking levels of influenza-like-illness and hospitalization rates recorded. While H3N2 viruses are still most common, there is an increasing number of influenza B viruses being detected. It’s not uncommon for second Read More >

February 5, 2018 by Blog Administrator34 Comments

Flu, prevention

antivirals, children, flu, flu shot, H3N2, influenza, public health, vaccination

Category: Flu