China: A report published in Cell Research says honeysuckle tea can fight influenza, and maybe ebola.

Qatar: For the first time U.S. Army Medical Materiel Center-Southwest Asia of the 3rd Medical Command (Deployment Support) Operational Command Post (Forward) conducted three days of mass influenza vaccinations of U.S. military personnel.

United Kingdom:  London and Middlesex reporting cases of influenza A.

United States: Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota and New Hampshire join Idaho, Montana, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina in reporting flu cases.

Illinois reporting a four years old boy died from flu, making him the 4th victim of the U.S. 2014-15 flu season.  It happened fast, his mother had given him ibuprofen and he finally fell asleep, but never woke up.  Health officials say the other children in the family are now sick.  Health officials also ordered police who responded to the home to decontaminate themselves!

Iowa reported cases in three counties.   There are no Iowa health laws that require medical care providers to report influenza cases to state or federal officials.

In Florida, a man first thought to have ebola actually has the flu.  He was treated at Holmes Regional Medical Center.

USA Today has tips on how to tell the difference between the symptoms of flu and ebola.

The Michigan Department of Community Health reports cases of H1N1, H3N2 and influenza B.

Health officials in Missouri reporting a shortage of nasal spray vaccines for children.  Forest Park Pediatrics reports they are out of nasal spray vaccines.  New shipments aren’t expected until mid to late November.

And what about all those PSAs and news media reports begging sick workers to stay home?  When I was younger I remember always being screamed at by my bosses, over the phone, whenever I called in sick.  In Tennessee, the yearly Staples Annual Flu Survey reports that 60% of workers go to work sick with flu, and it’s the fault of the employer: “In my experience, employers expect you to be there no matter what. So for a lot of those people, it isn’t an option.”-Karen Milliner, former data management worker

Various state public school officials are asking parents to keep their sick kids home.  However, there’s a Catch 22 if your kid misses too many days; the school loses taxpayer funding, unless you get a doctor’s excuse for your sick kid.

Remember, Idaho was the first U.S. state to report flu deaths, followed by North Carolina.