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September 25, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"CDC Quietly Urges Parents to Get Flu Shots for Babies" Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) (09/24/02) P. F3; Huget, Jennifer

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is encouraging flu vaccination for all children between the ages of six months and 23 months, as new research indicates that children under the age of two years are at increased for hospitalization related to the flu.  Flu vaccines are not licensed for use in infants, so the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices encourages caretakers of infants to be immunized to avoid spreading the illness to them.  The CDC is asking that high-risk individuals, including infants between the ages of six months and 23 months and the elderly, receive vaccinations in October and that all other individuals wait until later in the year.

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