The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released early estimates of the effectiveness of this season's influenza vaccine in preventing influenza infection. Influenza vaccine effectiveness is assessed each year by the U.S. Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network. Patients with acute respiratory infection (ARI) are enrolled in the study; respiratory samples ...

During my visit to the University of Vermont today I had lunch with seven talented Microbiology Ph.D. students. One of them asked me what was an important quality to have for achieving success in science. I said without hesitation, 'Be curious'. It's the answer I always give. Being curious is ...

Yesterday I noted the petition to ban intelligence involvement in public health campaigns. While exploring We the People I found another interesting petition, this one to secure resources and funding to build a Death Star by 2016. Because it garnered over 34,000 signatures, it was noted by the White House and ...

A petition has been created which asks the Obama Administration to ban intelligence involvement in public health campaigns: We petition President Obama to amend Executive Order 12333, adding a paragraph after the prohibition on covert action related to US domestic politics. The amendment should ban persons in the intelligence community ...

On episode #215 of the science show This Week in Virology, Vincent, Alan, and Kathy review the finding that rabies virus infection alters but does not kill neurons, and provide an update on the novel coronavirus in the Middle East. You can find TWiV #215 at www.microbe.tv/twiv.