Sometimes it's easy to forget how common many diseases were before vaccines for them were introduced. When the disease is not around, people may not notice as much.

In 2009, there were concerns across the world about the H1N1 flu. It turns out that, overall, death rates from this flu pandemic weren't worse than those of other flu seasons — at least for some.

One of the best ways to avoid the flu is to get the annual flu vaccine. Yet many children will still get the flu each year and possibly need hospitalization. Can antivirals help?

In the past, it wasn't uncommon for kids to be prescribed antibiotics for almost any respiratory infection. Now doctors are more careful about prescribing them only when necessary.

It's already understood that babies born very early are at a higher risk for respiratory problems. Yet even being a week or two early might increase this risk slightly.

It's flu season again, and there are ways to protect your children against the flu. A recent study revealed how serious the flu can be.

For years, health officials have been aiming to increase rates of flu vaccination across the US each flu season. While new data shows that more and more people seem to be getting vaccinated, the rates of the increases are slower than desired.

The main purpose of the flu vaccine is to protect against influenza. But it may offer other benefits as well.

A baby who catches whooping cough often requires hospitalization. Only babies over 2 months old can receive the vaccine for this illness. But  if many others in the community are vaccinated against the disease, that may help protect these young babies from it.

Babies born earlier than their due dates can often be at higher risk for certain diseases. With a usually weaker immune system, they may benefit from protective measures.