Cough-Cold and Flu

SAN DIEGO, Calif.  — “We all love predictability and feel stress during moments of change and disruption. But the future is about expanding in our intangible leadership skills so we can better manage the changing environment. There has been too much change in too short of time. Tomorrow is all about how you think, not just what you know. We must all expand our capacity. Amazon has disrupted everyone’s journey, and we must change along with it.”

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. — Kmart is kicking off flu season with pharmacies fulfilling the promise of a one-stop, convenient health destination, offering flu shots and other back-to-school immunizations for the whole family, the retailer announced Tuesday.

PARIS — Sanofi announced Monday that it has completed the acquisition of Protein Sciences, a vaccines biotechnology company based in Meriden, Conn. This completion follows Federal Trade Commission approval, having met all the conditions required for the closing of the transaction.

Through the acquisition, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines global business unit of Sanofi, adds a promising product to its influenza vaccine portfolio: Flublok (Influenza Vaccine), the only recombinant protein-based influenza vaccine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week upated its 2017-2018 flu season vaccine recommendations.

Vaccine viruses included in the 2017–18 U.S. trivalent influenza vaccines will be an A/Michigan/45/2015 (H1N1)pdm09–like virus, an A/Hong Kong/4801/2014 (H3N2)-like virus, and a B/Brisbane/60/2008–like virus (Victoria lineage). Quadrivalent influenza vaccines will contain these three viruses and an additional influenza B vaccine virus, a B/Phuket/3073/2013–like virus (Yamagata lineage).

HERSHEY, Pa. — Influenza vaccination rates in children may have decreased for the 2016-17 influenza season because of a recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the nasal spray version of the vaccine not be used, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

BOISE, Idaho — Albertsons pharmacies have annual flu vaccinations in stock and are reminding customers that while they are getting vaccinated, it's a great time to review their immunization records and talk to their pharmacist about other health concerns, too.