"How to Turbocharge Flu Protection (Llamas Required)"

"A giant antibody created in the laboratory shielded mice against dozens of flu strains, offering new hope against a winter misery."

"The oncoming flu season has claimed its first lives, among them a child in Florida who had not gotten a flu shot.

This year’s vaccine significantly reduces the odds of getting sick — and you should get one now if you haven’t already — but it’s far from perfect.

For one thing, its effectiveness fluctuates from year to year. At best, the vaccine may reduce the risk of illness by about 60 percent. Last year, during one of the worst flu epidemics in recent memory, that figure was just 40 percent."

Carl Zimmer reports for the New York Times November 1, 2018.