Respiratory virus season is here—and so are questions about this season’s flu vaccines. If you missed last week’s webinar with Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian and the Infodemiology Initiative, watch the recording for five vaccine communication tips you can start using right away.
This month, we’re tracking conversation about:
Vaccines: The rollout of this season’s flu vaccines—including an mRNA flu vaccine approved for adults 50 and older—fueled a wave of false safety claims and confusion about eligibility.
Substance use: As authorities investigate the deaths of two University of Mississippi students, Michigan residents are discussing overdose prevention on college campuses.
Gun violence: Last month, two separate incidents involving toddlers and guns in Michigan, one of which led to a child’s death, renewed conversations about secure gun storage.
Don’t forget: The Download Center offers a wide range of content on additional topics, including environmental health, reproductive health, and mental health, with options in multiple languages.
Vaccines
mRNA flu vaccine prompts false safety claims and questions about this season’s options
What’s happening:
Recent articles covered the rollout of this season’s flu vaccines, including mFlusiva, an mRNA flu vaccine approved in August for adults ages 50 and older.
Some Michigan social media users circulated myths that mRNA vaccines are unsafe and ineffective, echoing false claims about mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. Others expressed distrust in all flu vaccines and repeated the false claim that the vaccine can give you the flu.
Some commenters who supported vaccination worried that their only option might be an mRNA vaccine. Others asked who is eligible for a flu vaccine and where to find one nearby.
Helpful messaging to share right now:
Flu vaccines are approved for everyone 6 months and older this season, and there are several options available. mFlusiva, an mRNA-based vaccine, adds another option for adults 50 and older. You can also get a traditional flu shot or, depending on your age, a nasal spray vaccine. Your doctor or pharmacist can help you understand your options.
mRNA has been researched for decades, and mRNA vaccines now have years of real-world use and safety monitoring behind them. This technology can help scientists update vaccines to better match viruses that change quickly, like the flu.
No flu vaccine can give you the flu. Traditional flu shots are made with either inactivated (killed) viruses or with only a single protein from the flu virus. The nasal spray vaccine contains weakened viruses that do not cause the flu. mFlusiva uses messenger RNA to deliver temporary instructions to your immune system to learn how to recognize the flu virus.
Whichever flu vaccine you choose, health experts recommend getting vaccinated in October, before cases tend to rise.
You can find flu vaccines at pharmacies, doctor’s offices, clinics, local health departments, and other convenient locations. If you’re looking for a specific type of vaccine, call ahead before going to your appointment.
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Deaths of Mississippi college students prompt national conversation about overdose prevention
What’s happening:
On September 21, two University of Mississippi students were found dead in separate locations. Kratom—an herbal supplement with opioid-like effects—was found during searches connected to both deaths, but authorities have not yet confirmed the students’ causes of death.
The conversation spread to Michigan college campuses, where students were warned about emerging substances like the opioid cychlorphine and encouraged to carry naloxone.
Michigan social media users discussed how multiple doses of naloxone may be needed to reverse an overdose, particularly if someone has taken a potent synthetic opioid like cychlorphine. Some also asked where they can get naloxone for free.
Helpful messaging to share right now:
Narcan, also known as naloxone, is a medication that anyone can use to reverse an opioid overdose. Anyone in Michigan can get it for free, including on many college campuses, at other locations, and online.
Potent synthetic opioids like cychlorphine may require multiple doses of naloxone to reverse an overdose.
Look out for overdose signs like slow or no breathing, unconsciousness, or tiny pupils. If you suspect an overdose, call 911 right away and give naloxone. Give additional doses every two to three minutes until the person begins breathing normally or medical help arrives.
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Two Michigan toddler gun incidents renew secure storage concerns
What’s happening:
On September 28, a 3-year-old pulled a loaded gun from his backpack at a Canton Township daycare. Staff intervened, and no one was injured. Separately, on September 15, a 3-year-old in Pontiac was shot and killed with an unsecured firearm.
In both instances, the toddlers’ parents were charged with violating Michigan’s gun storage law.
Online commenters expressed outrage, and many urged parents to securely store guns to prevent child deaths.
The news coincided with a recent review from End Gun Violence Michigan that found that, as of September 1, only half of Michigan school districts had followed a state law requiring them to send parents information on secure gun storage.
Helpful messaging to share right now:
Research shows that many children know where guns are stored in their homes, and some have handled them without an adult’s knowledge. Even young toddlers are strong enough to pull a trigger.
Under Michigan law, gun owners must securely store firearms when children may be in the home, either in a locked container or unloaded and locked with a locking device.
Anyone in Michigan can get free gun locks to help keep children safe. Use this map to find a location near you.
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Plus: Share this Public Good News article to help parents ask about secure storage before playdates. For more about how families can prevent gun violence, join Dr. Bagdasarian on October 15 for a webinar hosted by Brady’s End Family Fire program and Grandmothers for Gun Responsibility. Register now.
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