December 5, 2010

National Influenza Vaccination Week to be held December 5-11, 2010

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has set aside the week of December 5-11, 2010 to observe this season's National Influenza Vaccination Week NIVW). The week-long emphasis on flu vaccination was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flu vaccine after the holiday season into January and beyond. National Influenza Vaccination Week provides an opportunity for public health agencies like the Central District Health Department (CDHD) to promote flu vaccination before the traditional winter peak in flu activity.

"Basically everyone from the age of six months through your entire life should get the seasonal flu vaccine," said Teresa Collins, RN, Program Manager for the Immunizations program at CDHD.

With three strains of flu expected to circulate in the 2010-2011 season, it is important that everyone get vaccinated if they haven't already done so, to protect themselves and their loved ones from flu.

The three flu strains identified by the CDCs' Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are an A/H3N2 strain, a B strain and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic strain. This year's flu vaccine provides protection against all three strains and approximately 160 million doses of the vaccine have already been distributed nationwide.

The universal flu vaccine recommendation, which encourages everyone 6 months of age and older to be vaccinated, took effect this flu season, "We need to keep in mind that everybody is susceptible to this disease," said Collins. "If you’ve not gotten your flu vaccine yet this year I would encourage you to get it, especially with the holidays coming up."

One of the many goals for NIVW is to engage at-risk audiences who are not yet vaccinated, hesitant about vaccination, or unsure about where to get vaccinated. Each day of National Influenza Vaccination Week is designated to highlight the importance for certain groups such as families, older adults, and people with high risk conditions like diabetes, asthma and heart problems, to get vaccinated.

The Central District Health Department doesn’t offer adult vaccines, but parents can make appointments for their children. In Boise call 327-7450, in Mountain Home call 587-4407 and in McCall call 630-8002. Information on the flu and other services is available on the CDHD website cdhd.idaho.gov.

For more information about National Influenza Vaccination Week, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/flu/nivw/ or http://www.flu.gov, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' dedicated flu website.