Good morning; this is John Mazerolle.
You won't be surprised to learn there's a lot of Donald Trump-centred news this morning, concerning both the Epstein files and the now-ended U.S. government shutdown.
But we start today with a question many Canadians are likely to be asking: With experts warning that an evolving strain of influenza may be a mismatch for this year's vaccine, do we even need flu shots?
More on that below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
What's the point of getting a flu shot? Here's what the science says
|
|
|
 |
(CDC Public Health Image Library)
|
Scientists are watching the spread of a new form of the H3N2 influenza strain that could be mismatched to this year’s vaccine.
My colleague Lauren Pelley talked to the experts about some key questions.
Do flu shots actually work? Matthew Miller, an immunologist and researcher at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., recently published a sweeping review of hundreds of prior studies on cases of infection in adults and children following a flu shot that showed these vaccines work in the ways that matter most — a significant reduction in disease severity.
Who should get the shot? Everyone is at risk from the flu. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization officially recommends that flu shots “be offered annually to anyone six months of age and older who does not have a contraindication to the vaccine.”
Is it still worth getting a "mismatched" vaccine? While a mismatched vaccine might be less effective against H3N2 in Canada this season, the vaccine doesn't just protect against one kind of influenza. Miller stressed that the possibility of a rise in H3N2 makes getting a flu shot all the more important to help keep patients out of Canada’s fragile hospital system.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The U.S. government shutdown is over. Now comes the hangover
|
|
|
 |
(Mark Schiefelbein/The Associated Press)
|
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history concluded last night, after Congress passed a bill, which was quickly signed into law, to restore government functions and resume normal activity.
But one key impact will continue to be felt for months to come.
Throughout the 43-day shutdown, key economic data was not gathered and the release of crucial economic indicators was delayed — and that post-shutdown fog will hang over the U.S. economy for months.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Once-curvy celebrities are thin. Why are we mad?
|
|
|
 |
(Monica Schipper/Getty Images, @AmySchumer/Instagram, Maya Dehlin Spach/Getty Images)
|
Singer Meghan Trainor and actors Amy Schumer and Mindy Kaling, pictured above in recent photos, have been criticized for showcasing their recent weight loss where they had previously embraced their curvy looks.
While society's obsession with female bodies is nothing new, this wave of celebrities shedding pounds — often with the help of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic — has touched a cultural nerve.
While some have bemoaned the supposed betrayal, others point out the hypocrisy of shaming women for losing weight and argue that people don't owe anyone an explanation for their bodies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
IN NORTHERN LIGHTER NEWS
|
|
|
Stormy weather
|
|
| | |
