TUESDAY, Oct. 16, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- Adults over the age of 65, those at high risk of serious complications from the flu, and young children with chronic diseases should get their flu shots during the month of October, government officials urged today. The rest of us should wait until November and December.
Health care workers should also be vaccinated this month, as should women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, the officials add.
"President Bush reminded us that it is important that we go about our daily business, and today we are doing just that," says David Neumann, associate director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and director of the National Coalition for Adult Immunization. "We want to remind everyone of the importance of taking care of themselves and their loved ones."
Neumann spoke at a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which was held in observance of the 15th annual National Adult Immunization Awareness Week.
This year's call to prioritize flu vaccinations is in reaction to an anticipated shortage of the flu vaccine, though supplies are expected to increase in November and December, says Nancy Cox, chief of the Influenza Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This year's influenza vaccine protects against A/Moscow (H3N2)-like, A/New Caledonia (H1N1)-like, and B/Sichuan-like strains. It takes about two weeks after vaccination to develop antibodies to the flu to provide protection, the CDC says.
"We are experiencing delays in delivery," Cox reports. "Not as great as last year. We currently estimate 79 million doses to be delivered in October as well as substantial increases in vaccines available in November and December. We are working now to avoid a repeat of last year's supply problems, and we are monitoring the situation carefully."
"We also want to emphasize this year the high-risk children in our population," Cox says. "Although children with chronic diseases are covered by the recommendation, new data reveals that only 25 percent of children identified as such actually receive annual influenza vaccination. Only between 9 and 20 percent of children with severe asthma, for instance, receive vaccinations for the flu, yet they are at risk for flu's complications as well. We must make sure these kids also get priority flu shots this year."
Neumann says: "Influenza causes an average of 20,000 deaths nationwide, primarily in persons over the age of 65. The illness hospitalizes nearly 200,000 Americans every year. The vaccine can prevent up to 70 percent of hospitalizations and 85 percent of deaths from influenza-related pneumonia."
The highly contagious viral infection of the nose, throat and lungs is caused by one of three types of influenza viruses: A, B and C. Influenza A can infect humans and other animals, while influenza B and C infect only humans. Influenza C virus causes a very mild illness and does not cause epidemics. Influenza spreads easily from person to person, primarily through coughs and sneezes.
The flu, which normally peaks between January and March, causes the familiar high fever, chills, dry cough, headache, runny nose, sore throat, and achy muscles and joints. It usually leads to extreme fatigue that lasts several days to weeks.
The government officials also urged people over the age of 65 to get vaccinated against pneumonia.
"Each year, pneumococcal disease causes 100,000 to 135,000 hospitalizations for pneumonia and over 50,000 cases of invasive disease -- including 3,300 cases of meningitis -- resulting in more than 10,000 deaths among Americans," says Dr. Pierce Gardner, senior advisor for clinical research and training at the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center. "All persons over age 65 and younger adults who have chronic diseases are especially vulnerable and should receive the pneumococcal vaccine."
What To Do
The anthrax scare has many people thinking about more exotic diseases, but the flu is the devil we know better -- and we know it can be a killer. Get vaccinated as soon as possible if you're in any high-risk group.
The CDC recommends that these people get vaccinated this month: those over the age of 65; residents of nursing homes; adults and children with chronic pulmonary and cardiovascular disease; those with metabolic diseases like diabetes, or a weakened immune system; those on long-term aspirin therapy; pregnant women in the second or third trimester; and all health care workers.
Healthy people between the ages of 50 and 64, and anybody else who wishes to avoid the flu this season, should wait until November of December, when the vaccine supply will be more plentiful.
For more information on this year's flu recommendations, see the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
