Immunize El Paso To Provide Flu Shots For Young And Old All Across Borderland, USA

Main Category: Immune System / Vaccines
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS;  Respiratory / Asthma;  Public Health
Article Date: 29 Sep 2008 - 5:00 PDT

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Influenza vaccination is now recommended for all children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday. The recommendation to vaccinate children 6 months up to their 5th birthday has been in place since 2006. These children should all be vaccinated annually. Children and adolescents at higher risk for influenza complications should continue to be a focus of vaccination efforts as Immunize El Paso transitions to routinely vaccinating all children and adolescents. Children under 6 months old are at highest risk of influenza complications, but they are too young to get an influenza vaccine; the best way to protect young children is to make sure members of their household and their caregivers are vaccinated.

Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications or people who live with or care for people at higher risk for serious complications. Persons working in health care settings also should be vaccinated annually against influenza.

People recommended for vaccination based on their risk of complications from influenza or because they are in close contact with someone at higher risk of influenza complications include:

- Children aged 6 months until their 19th birthday
- Pregnant women
- People 50 years of age and older
- People of any age with certain chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease)
- People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,
- Household contacts of person at high risk for complications from influenza
- Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age

It is extremely important to be immunized against the flu. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and about 36,000 people die from flu. The Centers for Disease Control and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have centered themselves around a push to immunize more children against the potentially fatal disease. Immunize El Paso has once again for the 10th year teamed up with the City and the County of El Paso to assure everybody who wants or needs a flu shot gets one. The area's largest flu vaccine provider based on doses provided has released their schedule for the 2008 flu season and are slated to begin September 21st.

"You can get fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea or simply get a flu shot!" said Dusty Warden, Outreach Coordinator for Immunize El Paso. "It's a relatively easy choice. The benefits of the flu shot are exponentially greater than the risk of not being immunized."

We are also proud to announce that we have not raised the cost of the flu shot for this year. As a non-profit organization, Immunize El Paso has worked diligently to ensure that costs are kept down to ensure that flu shots are affordable to everyone who needs or wants one. The cost of the flu shot will remain only $25 this year. Medicare, children's Medicaid and CHIP are also accepted.

For more information on where to get your flu shot, visit our website at http://www.elpasoflushots.org or call 915-533-3414.

About Immunize El Paso

A division of ProAction is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to promoting health and safety in El Paso County, serving to the metro and rural areas of the borderland. Immunize El Paso works in partnership with the City of El Paso Department of Public Health on immunization projects across the city. For more information, you can reach us at the above listed information.

Immunize El Paso