Triple epidemic: influenza surge

Recording after the ball drops, Dr. Griffin and Vincent Racaniello wish everyone a Happy New Year, discuss an evidence-based approach to teaching and practice medicine and reminisce on the history of vaccine development and use before their discussion about the whooping cough outbreak of 2025 in the US and falling levels of tetanus vaccination, then Dr. Griffin then deep dives into recent statistics on the measles epidemic, RSV, influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infections, the Wasterwater Scan dashboard, Johns Hopkins measles tracker, how NY state reported the greatest number of influenza confirmed infections ever in one week during the week ending Dec 20,  where to find PEMGARDA, how to access and pay for Paxlovid, long COVID treatment center, where to go for answers to your long COVID questions, and contacting your federal government representative to stop the assault on science and biomedical research.

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• Evidence-Based Medicine: A New Approach to Teaching the Practice of Medicine (JAMA)
• The US has seen nearly 28,000 whooping cough cases this year. Here’s what you need to know (CNN)
• Vaccine History: Developments by Year (CHOP, Children’s hospital of Philadelphia: Vaccine History)
• Reported Incidence of notable diseases in United States: 1952 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Vol. 1, No. 54, October 26, 1953 (CDC: Stacks)
• As tetanus vaccination rates decline, doctors worry about rising case numbers (nbc News)
• Wastewater for measles (WasterWater Scan)
• Measles cases and outbreaks (CDC Rubeola)
• Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S. (Johns Hopkins)
• Measles vaccine recommendations from NYP (jpg)
• Weekly measles and rubella monitoring (Government of Canada)
• Measles (WHO)
• Get the FACTS about measles (NY State Department of Health)
• Measles (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Measles vaccine (CDC Measles (Rubeola))
• Presumptive evidence of measles immunity (CDC)
• Contraindications and precautions to measles vaccination (CDC)
• Adverse events associated with childhood vaccines: evidence bearing on causality (NLM)
• Measles Vaccination: Know the Facts(ISDA: Infectious Diseases Society of America)
• Deaths following vaccination: what does the evidence show (Vaccine)
• Influenza: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• US respiratory virus activity (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• Respiratory virus activity levels (CDC Respiratory Illnesses)
• New York State Department of Health Confirms Most Flu Cases Ever Recorded in One Week: New York State Reports 71,123 Flu Cases This Week (NY State Department of Health)
• Weekly surveillance report: cliff notes (CDC FluView)
• Influenza Vaccine Composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. Influenza Season (FDA)
• RSV: Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• Respiratory Diseases (Yale School of Public Health)
• RSV-Network (CDC Respiratory Syncytial virus Infection)
• Vaccines for Adults (CDC: Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV))
• Economic Analysis of Protein Subunit and mRNA RSV Vaccination in Adults aged 50-59 Years (CDC: ACIP)
• Nirsevimab vs RSVpreF Vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus–Related Hospitalization in Newborns (JAMA)
• RSV Immunization Frequently Asked Questions(American Academy of Pediatrics)
• Waste water scan for 11 pathogens (WastewaterSCan)
• COVID-19 deaths (CDC)
• Respiratory Illnesses Data Channel (CDC: Respiratory Illnesses)
• COVID-19 national and regional trends (CDC)
• COVID-19 variant tracker (CDC)
• SARS-CoV-2 genomes galore (Nextstrain)
• Antigenic and Virological Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Variant BA.3.2, XFG, and NB.1.8.1 (bioRxiV)
• Where to get pemgarda (Pemgarda)
• EUAfor the pre-exposure prophylaxis of COVID-19 (INVIYD)
• Infusion center (Prime Fusions)
• CDC Quarantine guidelines (CDC)
• NIH COVID-19 treatment guidelines (NIH)
• Drug interaction checker (University of Liverpool)
• Help your eligible patients access PAXLOVID with the PAXCESS Patient Support Program (Pfizer Pro)
• UnderstandingCoverageOptions (PAXCESS)
• Infectious Disease Society guidelines for treatment and management (ID Society)
• Molnupiravir safety and efficacy (JMV)
• Convalescent plasma recommendation for immunocompromised (ID Society)
• What to do when sick with a respiratory virus (CDC)
• Managing healthcare staffing shortages (CDC)
• Anticoagulationguidelines (hematology.org)
• Daniel Griffin’s evidence based medical practices for long COVID (OFID)
• Long COVID hotline (Columbia : Columbia University Irving Medical Center)
• The answers: Long COVID
• Reaching out to US house representative
• Letters read on TWiV 1284
• Dr. Griffin’s COVID treatment summary (pdf)
• Timestamps by Jolene Ramsey. Thanks!

Intro music is by Ronald Jenkees

Send your questions for Dr. Griffin to daniel@microbe.tv

Content in this podcast should not be construed as medical advice.