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Flu Vaccine Available and Senior Citizens Should Get
Shot
February is usually the worst month for influenza
Feb 15, 2005 – Midway in the month that most often
sees the most influenza, the Centers for Disease Control says there are
still millions of doses of flu vaccine available and senior citizens
should continue to seek vaccinations from their local healthcare
providers.
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Feb. 15, 2005 – Flu vaccine reached a record number
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On February 10, CDC estimated that approximately
3.5 million doses of influenza vaccine were still available for use
through the end of the influenza season. Because February is often the
most severe month of the influenza season and because influenza viruses
might continue to circulate for several more weeks it's not too late to
benefit from vaccination this season.
Data collected during the first three weeks of
January by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
indicated that 57.3 percent of children aged six to 23 months were
vaccinated during September through December 2004, the first year that
influenza vaccination was added to the childhood immunization schedule.
A 2002 survey indicated only 7.7 percent in the same age group were
vaccinated for influenza. Influenza vaccine has a higher first year
vaccination coverage than the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV) at 40.9 percent
in 2002 or the varicella vaccine at 16 percent in 1996.
"It is wonderful news that so many children are
being vaccinated against a potentially life-threatening illness like
influenza," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director. "We must continue
to urge parents to vaccinate their children and urge those at high risk
for serious complications from influenza to step up and get vaccinated
because the shot can save lives."
The BRFSS survey results show that influenza
vaccination continued during the month of December and was concentrated
in the vaccination priority groups outlined for the 2004-2005 season.
Vaccination coverage among adults in priority groups was 43.1 percent
compared with 8.3 percent vaccination coverage for adults not in
priority groups. To date in this influenza season, nearly 59 percent of
persons aged 65 years and older reported influenza vaccination through
December 2004 compared to 65.5 percent of persons in this age group who
reported influenza vaccination in the 2003 National Health Interview
Survey.
For more information about influenza, visit the CDC
website:
www.cdc.gov/flu.
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