msnbc.com: Cold and flu

P&G recalls Vicks nasal spray after bacteria found

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:13:15 GMT

The Procter & Gamble Co. has recalled some 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after the company found bacteria in samples during routine testing.
Vicks Sinex - Procter & Gamble - Vicks - Diseases & Conditions - Health

How to stay healthy during flu season

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:35:19 GMT

But even as the flu season unfolds, there's much you can do to substantially lower your own risk of getting sick.

Health - Influenza - Infectious disease - Conditions and Diseases - Viral

9 surprising places where germs lurk

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:25:24 GMT

Here are some surprising (and some icky) places where germs hang out — and what you can do to protect yourself.

County to sick workers: Stay home or risk firing

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:18:15 GMT

Employees of an Arizona county who have flu symptoms or a temperature of at least 100.4 degrees must stay home from work or risk being disciplined or fired under a new policy, officials said Thursday.

FDA warns P&G for adding vitamin C to Nyquil

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:29:14 GMT

Federal drug regulators warned Procter & Gamble on Wednesday for adding Vitamin C to its Vicks cold formulas, a combination not allowed by federal regulations.

Rite Aid alters pregnant women's flu shot rules

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 17:32:52 GMT

The nation's third-largest drugstore chain is no longer making pregnant women show a prescription to get a flu shot.

Seasonal flu vaccine delayed for some doctors

Thu, 1 Oct 2009 22:07:19 GMT

The biggest manufacturers of seasonal flu vaccines for the U.S. said they are delaying or reducing the number of doses shipped to health care providers.

Test aims to detect flu — before symptoms

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 23:17:49 GMT

Duke University researchers are developing a test to determine — with a mere drop of blood — who will get influenza before the sniffling and fever set in.

Study: Flu can cause heart attacks

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:01:40 GMT

Heart patients who catch the flu may have more to worry about than just a fever or the sniffles: the virus could also spark a heart attack, new research shows.

Time to get vaccine against regular flu

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:37:54 GMT

It's time to get the first of at least two flu shots recommended for many Americans this fall: Vaccine against regular winter flu is ready.

Judge denies group's flu vaccine request

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:22:51 GMT

A judge on Wednesday denied an advocacy group's bid to prevent the government from giving pregnant women flu vaccines with a preservative that contains mercury.

Ahh-choo! Is it the flu or an orgasm?

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:29:39 GMT

We do it when we’re sick and when we’re cleaning out our closets. Astronauts do it in space. Some people even do it after orgasm. Yet few really understand what’s happening when our noses explode in a sneeze.

Osteoporosis drugs may kill flu viruses

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:45:36 GMT

Two existing drugs used to treat osteoporosis may be effective in killing influenza viruses, including the new H1N1 swine flu and the H5N1 bird flu viruses, researchers found.

First swine flu vaccines expected next month

Thu, 6 Aug 2009 15:39:35 GMT

The World Health Organization says vaccine manufacturers are on track to start delivering the first batches of swine flu vaccine in September, the WHO said Thursday.

CDC: All U.S. kids should get seasonal flu shot

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:19:41 GMT

All U.S. children aged 6 months to 18 years should get a seasonal influenza vaccine every year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday.

FDA approves seasonal flu vaccine

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:09:09 GMT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the ordinary seasonal flu vaccine on Monday and said Americans should plan to be vaccinated.

Man who lost sense of smell believed Zicam safe

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:45:34 GMT

He was like millions of other consumers who sometimes take vitamins or echinacea, hoping to build up his immunity or ward off a cold. He figured alternative remedies were as safe as a spoonful of honey.

FDA orders Zicam pulled from store shelves

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:21:06 GMT

Consumers should stop using Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and related products because they can permanently damage the sense of smell, federal health regulators said Tuesday.

A brief guide to regulation of health products

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:24:23 GMT

Here is a look at how homeopathic drugs differ from conventional medicines and dietary supplements.

So unfair! Summer colds are a cruel oxymoron

Thu, 4 Jun 2009 12:27:03 GMT

Sore throats, runny noses and hacking coughs are hard enough to live with in the dead of winter, but when the world is sunny and 80, they’re positively criminal.

Regular flu lingers, but it’s not too late for shots

Wed, 20 May 2009 12:22:21 GMT

There's no vaccine yet for spreading swine flu, but in a season when regular influenza is lingering longer, health experts say it’s not too late to get a flu shot — if you can find one.

What's in a cough? 20,000 viruses

Tue, 12 May 2009 16:47:57 GMT

The next time you cough or sneeze, there is good reason to cover your mouth. As many as 20,000 viruses are expelled in an average cough.

Pregnant women more at risk from swine flu

Thu, 14 May 2009 16:23:33 GMT

Pregnant women should take prescription flu medicines if they are diagnosed with the new swine flu, health officials said.

Swine flu fears prompt quarantine plans

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 02:31:20 GMT

Canada became the third country to confirm human cases of swine flu Sunday as global health officials considered whether to raise the global pandemic alert level.

Stem cells may help deaf people hear

Thu, 2 Apr 2009 00:08:53 GMT

Stem cells may help deaf people hear again, according to early stage research by British scientists.

Antibodies could provide new way to fight flu

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 14:39:56 GMT

Researchers have discovered human antibodies that neutralize not only H5N1 bird flu but other strains of influenza as well and say they hope to develop them into lifesaving treatments.

Resistance to flu drug widespread in U.S.

Mon, 2 Mar 2009 18:42:23 GMT

Virtually all cases of the most common strain of flu circulating in the United States now resist the main drug used to treat it, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

New drugs needed to fight flu pandemic

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:49:57 GMT

Experts on Friday urged governments on Friday to diversify their stockpiles of drugs and called for more new medicines to fight what could be the world's next flu pandemic caused by the H5N1 bird flu virus.

FDA advisers want changes for next flu vaccine

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:40:11 GMT

A Food and Drug Administration advisory panel is recommending only a slight change in the flu vaccine for the 2009-2010 season from the current vaccine.

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Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:40:11 GMT

Scientists crack genetic code of common cold

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:29:57 GMT

Snifflers of the world rejoice: Scientists are one step closer to finding effective treatments for the common cold now that researchers have deciphered the genetic code of the virus.

When should you call in sick to work?

Tue, 10 Feb 2009 23:36:23 GMT

If you're not feeling great, do yourself and your co-workers a favor: Call in sick. You'll likely get better faster and save your employer money.

Watch the humidity, flu likes it dry

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 22:10:13 GMT

Grandma may have been right about keeping a teakettle warming on the stove in winter. Studies of seasonal influenza have long found indications that flu spreads better in dry air.

Got the flu? Most simply suffer through it

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 18:36:44 GMT

Only a small percentage of people who get influenza or a similar illness are ever prescribed drugs shown to help the virus, according to a study released on Monday.

Flu may not have killed most in 1918 pandemic

Fri, 6 Feb 2009 15:43:16 GMT

Strep infections and not the flu virus itself may have killed most people during the 1918 influenza pandemic, which suggests some of the most dire predictions about a new pandemic may be exaggerated, U.S. researchers said.

Flu off to slow start, but don't relax yet

Mon, 2 Feb 2009 18:09:52 GMT

Flu season is making a slow start this winter, with widespread illness in only two states — Virginia and New Jersey.

Report: U.S. only half ready for flu pandemic

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:24:34 GMT

U.S. states have made progress in stockpiling drugs and preparing to vaccinate people in case of a flu pandemic but are far behind in plans for the ensuing months of disruption, the government said.

Preventing colds may be as easy as vitamin Zzz

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:59:38 GMT

Fluff up the pillows and pull up the covers. Preventing the common cold may be as easy as getting more sleep.

Checking in on winter's ills: What to expect

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 14:26:00 GMT

Winter’s here, heralding the season of sickness. While there haven't been any major flu outbreaks so far this winter, plenty of other bugs are lurking, including nasty norovirus.

Weekly influenza activity estimates

Interactive: Weekly influenza activity