FIGHTING THE FLU - FLU SHOT

If you haven't gotten your flu shot yet, go get it. January is not too late to get a flu shot. "Those getting vaccinated at any time will be better protected against the influenza (flu) virus," says Roland A. Levandowski, MD, a virologist in the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER).

Studies have shown the flu vaccine's effectiveness rate to be 70 to 90 percent in healthy young adults. In the elderly and in people with certain chronic illnesses, the vaccine sometimes doesn't prevent illness altogether, but does reduce its severity and the risk of serious complications and death.

Adults and children who have chronic disorders of the pulmonary or cardiovascular systems, including asthma

• Persons aged 65 years and older
• Residents of nursing homes and other facilities that provide care for chronically ill persons
• Adults and children who have certain underlying medical conditions that required hospitalization or regular doctor visits during the past year because of chronic disease including heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes, asthma, anemia, or immunosuppression (for example, caused by medications or HIV infection)
• Children and teenagers (aged 6 months to 18 years) who must take aspirin regularly and therefore might be at risk for developing Reye syndrome if they get the flu
• Women who will be in the second or third trimester of pregnancy during the influenza season. (Pregnant women who have a high-risk condition should be immunized regardless of the stage of pregnancy.)

Some people--but not many--should avoid the flu shot. People who have had an allergic reaction to eggs or to a previous dose of influenza vaccine should consult a doctor before getting a flu shot if they plan to get the shot at a place other than their physician's office. And those with a high fever should not receive the vaccine until they feel better.

Where to Get a Flu Shot
For individuals who are searching for a place to obtain an influenza vaccination, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest the following:

Contact your personal health-care provider.
 
Call your local public health clinic or state health department immunization program. Most state health departments are listed on CDC's Web site at www.cdc.gov/nip/flu/default.htm. Or call the toll-free National Immunization Hotline at 1-800-232-2522 (English) or 1-800-232-0233 (Spanish).
 
Check media outlets such as newspapers, radio stations, or other public information sources for specific clinics in your community.

Check with your county medical society.