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Persons not at risk asked not to get flu vaccine

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this flu season is not expected to be more severe than other recent seasons when demand for the vaccine was so low that providers had to discard vaccine at the end of the season.

Health officials remind residents to remain patient while federal officials continue to distribute the remaining national influenza vaccine supply.

There are 2-3 million Georgians persons at greatest risk of complications from the flu, and state health officials are focusing the influenza vaccine supply gets to them and the healthcare workers who care for them. Health officials are urging those not in the following groups to forgo the influenza vaccine this year:

• All children aged 6-23 months.
• Adults 65 and older.
• Health-care workers involved in direct patient care.
• Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children younger than 6 months.
• Persons aged 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions.
• All women who will be pregnant during the influenza season.
• Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
• Children aged 6 months-18 years on chronic aspirin therapy.

State health officials are working closely with private and public healthcare providers and partners in the business community to get the influenza vaccine to Georgians in the priority groups.