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November 8, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"State Residents Avoiding Vaccine Clinics Like the Flu" Hartford Courant Online (www.ctnow.com) (11/06/02) P. B8; Condon, Garret

The director of lung-health programs at the American Lung Association of Connecticut, Ann Levison, says uptake in the flu vaccination is low this year.  Publicity in recent years about shortages and delays in supplies of the vaccine may have triggered the sluggish response this season.  Supplies of the flu vaccine are plentiful this year, Levison noted, and federal officials are again stressing vaccination uptake particularly among people 65 and older, those with chronic illness, and caretakers of high-risk individuals.  Two years ago, healthy people aged 50 and older were advised to obtain the vaccination. The advisory panel that sets flu-shot recommendations this year "encouraged when feasible" flu shots for young children between the ages of six months and 23 months, and also is also encouraging healthy children, as well those with chronic illnesses, to get vaccinated.  So far, physicians report only a mild uptake among the parents of healthy children, and some physicians reportedly are not sure what they should recommend. Dr. Juan C. Salazar, assistant professor of medicine at University of Connecticut Health Center, said he believed the "federal [vaccine] encouragement" would eventually become a complete recommendation and that the American Academy of Pediatrics would issue a similar recommendation.  Salazar added that ultimately the flu vaccine will likely be added to the state's list of mandatory childhood immunizations.

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