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The flu season is just getting underway in North America, but if Australia’s experience with influenza is any guide, we’re in for a miserable winter. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, warned Wednesday that the United States could experience a “relatively severe influenza season.” If so, it would extend a run of bad luck that began in 2014, when the available flu vaccines proved to be a poor match for the most common viruses in circulation. (Healy, 11/29)

Johns Hopkins researchers believe they’ve figured out how to fix a popular nasal spray vaccine that federal authorities told people to stop using last year because it offered little protection from the flu. That would be welcome news for needle-averse children and adults who dread getting a shot even if it protects them against the respiratory virus that infects millions of Americans every year and can be dangerous for the elderly, chronically ill and very young. (Cohn, 11/29)

Hospitals and health departments could have a new tool in 2018 to detect Zika – a test that is cheap, portable and fast. The test involves a drop of blood, can get results in 20 minutes and doesn’t require blood be sent out to a lab. (Aboraya, 11/29)

Researchers announced the launch of two big studies in Africa on Thursday to test a new HIV vaccine and a long-acting injectable drug, fueling hopes for better ways to protect against the virus that causes AIDS. (Hirschler, 11/30)