Health officials say it’s time to get a flu shot.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, estimates from last year’s flu season revealed a drop in adults 50 or older who received vaccines by nearly 3.5 percent.
CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said people need to take the flu virus seriously, especially the elderly population.
“Flu is serious. Flu is unpredictable,” Frieden said during a joint news conference last week with the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “Flu often does not get enough respect.”
Children between 6 months and 23 months old were the top group during the past season to receive vaccinations: 75 percent, which exceeded the CDC’s goal of 70 percent for all ages.
Frieden said the vaccines appear to be a good match for the various expected strains of flu this season. He said it’s too early to predict whether this will be a mild or severe flu season overall.
The CDC estimated that 168 million doses of flu vaccine will be available this season across the country, and 93 million have been distributed.
“There’s plenty for everybody,” he said.
On average, the flu kills more than 30,000 people a year. Flu activity usually begins in October, peaking between December and March.
Photo by USACE Europe District
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