The CDC responded to my question of WHEN exactly should we get a flu shot - "Get your flu vaccination in September or as soon as the vaccine is available. If you don't get the flu vaccine that early, you can get it any time during the flu season, into January and beyond. This is because the timing and duration (length) of the flu season varies. Flu outbreaks can happen as early as October, but flu activity often peaks in January or later."
CDC recommends that everyone 6 months of age and older get the flu vaccine each year. It's the first and most important step in protecting yourself and your loved ones from flu viruses.
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The
2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season.
The three vaccine viruses are chosen to maximize the likelihood that the main circulating viruses during the upcoming flu season will be well covered. The H1N1 virus recommended for inclusion in the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine is a pandemic 2009 H1N1 virus and is the same vaccine
virus as was used in the 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htmThe U.S. Public Health Emergency for 2009 H1N1 Influenza expired on June 23, 2010.
Internationally,
2009 H1N1 viruses and seasonal influenza viruses are co-circulating in
many parts of the world. It is likely that the 2009 H1N1 virus will
continue to spread for years to come, like a regular
seasonal influenza virus.
CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccination
as the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. The 2009 H1N1 virus that emerged last year to cause the first global pandemic in more than 40 years and resulted in substantial illness, hospitalizations and deaths.
Seasonal 2010-11 vaccine has begun shipping from manufacturers and CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a 2010-2011 flu vaccine for the upcoming season as vaccine is available.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO, e-mail cdcinfo@cdc.gov or visit
http://www.cdc.gov for questions.
Complete the CDC-INFO’s Customer Satisfaction Survey:
http://www.emtservices.org/cdcinfo/en/email_satisfaction_survey.htm.
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