Public Health

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Philip J. Cook and Kimberly D. Krawiec, Duke University

A wide range of studies have shown that unintended pregnancies are associated with a number of negative health impacts for infants and parents — delayed or insufficient prenatal care, alcohol or tobacco use during pregnancy, premature birth and low birth weight, among others.

After the 1957-58 influenza pandemic caused nearly 70,000 fatalities in the United States, the Surgeon General recommended that all high-risk citizens (those with chronic illnesses, pregnant women and the elderly) receive a yearly flu vaccine. But it has not been clear how effective annual flu shots really are, and which populations benefit from them the most.

From the Scholars Strategy Network, written by Mark A. Rothstein, University of Louisville School of Medicine