Time to Get Your Flu Vaccine!
Flu vaccines will not prevent COVID-19, but they will reduce the burden of flu illnesses, hospitalizations and deaths on the health care system and conserve scarce medical resources for the care of people with COVID-19.
The CDC estimates that last season, fewer than half of Americans got a flu vaccine and at least 410,000 people were hospitalized from flu. Increased vaccination coverage would reduce that burden.
Vaccination of high risk persons is especially important to decrease their risk of severe flu illness.
Groups Recommended for Vaccination:
Routine annual influenza vaccination is recommended for all persons aged ≥6 months who do not have contraindications.
A licensed vaccine appropriate for age and health status should be used. Consult package information for age indications.
Emphasis should be placed on vaccination of high-risk groups and their contacts/caregivers. When vaccine supply is limited, vaccination efforts should focus on delivering vaccination to (no hierarchy is implied by order of listing):
Children aged 6 through 59 months
Adults aged ≥50 years
Persons with chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (excluding isolated hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
Persons who are immunocompromised due to any cause, including (but not limited to) medications or HIV infection
Women who are or will be pregnant during the influenza season
Children and adolescents (aged 6 months through 18 years) receiving aspirin- or salicylate-containing medications who might be at risk for Reye syndrome associated with influenza
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
American Indians/Alaska Natives
Persons who are extremely obese (BMI ≥40 for adults)
Caregivers and contacts of those at risk:
Health care personnel, including all paid and unpaid persons working in health-care settings who have potential for exposure to patients and/or to infectious materials, whether or not directly involved in patient care;
Household contacts and caregivers of children aged ≤59 months (i.e., <5 years), particularly contacts of children aged <6 months, and adults aged ≥50 years;
Household contacts and caregivers of persons with medical conditions associated with increased risk of severe complications from influenza.