Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc., Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at http://www.immunizationinfo.org.

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September 16, 2002

U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"'Worried Well' Urged to Wait on Flu Shots"

Allentown Morning Call (www.mcall.com) (09/14/02) P. B3; Wlazelek, Ann

Federal health officials are asking healthy people to wait to get their flu shots until senior citizens, nursing home residents, the chronically ill, women in their fourth to ninth months of pregnancy, health care workers, and children on aspirin therapy have been vaccinated.  Individuals not in those groups are asked to wait until November or December for their shots, though no shortage of vaccine is anticipated this year; the idea is to get those most at risk vaccinated first so as to prevent deaths and complications.  The federal government only controls some 10 percent of the 95 million flu vaccine doses distributed in the United States, so officials are asking those involved to immunize the most at-risk people first.  This year's vaccine includes protection against the Type A-Panama, Type A-New Caledonia, and Type B-Hong Kong flu strains.  Officials are also encouraging healthy children between the ages of six months and 23 months to be vaccinated early.  Aventis Pasteur has recently received Food and Drug Administration approval for a preservative-free vaccine for infants, but this will take a month or two more to produce.

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.