As the Southern Hemisphere's flu season ends and migrates to the Northern Hemisphere, new data indicates a lull in influenza outbreaks.
In the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, indicators of influenza activity were reported at low levels or below the seasonal threshold in most reporting countries.
Published on October 9, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO)'s Influenza Update N° 455 concluded influenza detections remained low.

Various flu shot benefit analyses are being presented during poster sessions in Boston, Massachusetts, this week. These data highlight the effectiveness and value of influenza vaccination across relevant age groups, risk profiles, and flu seasons with different levels of influenza burden.
An expansive analysis was announced today by CSL Seqirus, offering new data from three studies supporting the clinical, public health, and economic value of both cell-based and adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccines. 

While we do not know exactly what the coming influenza season will look like, flu seasons create significant public health burdens every winter, wrote the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
On September 28, 2023, the CDC reaffirmed for persons aged ≥six months, receiving a flu shot each year remains the best way to protect against seasonal influenza and its potentially severe consequences.

A recent study revealed that despite more influenza A(H3N2) related hospitalizations, patients hospitalized with flu A(H1N1)pdm09 or B viruses had a higher likelihood of in-hospital severe outcomes.
Before this U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded study was published, little was known about the relative severity of flu infections by influenza virus type and subtype in hospitalized people.

In this World Health Organization (WHO) global respiratory update, influenza surveillance continues to be modest as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for the 2023-2024 flu season.
The WHO's Influenza Update N° 453 reported that in the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States, indicators of influenza activity were reported at low levels or below the seasonal threshold in most reporting countries.

In the United States, the annual flu season is just starting at the same time U.S. government agencies are expected to announce recommendations for new COVID-19 vaccines.
As millions of people approach their trusted pharmacists for a flu shot, many wonder if the coadministration of a COVID-19 vaccine is safe and efficacious.
A new Original Investigation published by the peer-reviewed journal The JAMA Open Network on September 8, 2023, offered reassuring news for older adults.

While health experts watch reports of a tranquil flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, many people in the north are debating when to get their annual influenza vaccination.
Since vaccine effectiveness is influenced by waning, timing is essential each flu season.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently added some clarity to this question when it published Influenza Update N° 452 on August 21, 2023.

Over the past two years, various avian influenza outbreaks have led to the deaths of millions of birds. And a recent study reported the H3N8 avian influenza virus (AIV) in a woman who died of severe disease in Guangdong Province, China.
According to the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China, this was the first confirmed human death after avian influenza (A/H3N8) infection.
As of August 2023, there have been three cases of human infection of avian influenza A (H3N8) virus in China.

Over the past few years, around 60% of vaccination during flu season took place at local pharmacies, which were rated very high in a July 2023 survey. 
More than half of respondents confirmed that pharmacies are easy to access and time efficient to get an annual flu shot.
And based on new services announced by Walgreens, this percentage may increase during the 2023-2024 flu season in the U.S.

Every flu season is different, and each influenza virus can affect people differently, says the World Health Organization (WHO). For the forthcoming 2023-2024 flu season in the United States, numerous studies show that vaccination reduces the odds of hospital admissions.
Since the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends an annual flu shot for most people, access to approved influenza vaccines is essential.