It's Not Too Late to Vaccinate

National Influenza Vaccination Week is December 8–14. This event highlights the importance of continuing influenza (flu) vaccination through December, January, and beyond. It's not too late for families to protect themselves against the flu by getting vaccinated. Healthcare workers should get vaccinated, too.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its partners have designated December 8–14 as National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). This event highlights the importance of continuing influenza (flu) vaccination through December, January, and beyond.

Flu is a serious contagious disease. Each year in the U.S., on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and about 36,000 people die. CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in protecting against this serious disease.

Click here to learn more about NIVW. You can use the NIVW Web site to find NIVW events around the country, download free materials, and share information about your organization's activities during this event.

Kids

For parents: a must-see video!

Tuesday, December 9, has been set aside as Children's Vaccination Day, a time to focus on protecting children against the flu. All children 6 months through 18 years of age are recommended for annual influenza vaccination in order to protect them from flu. Each year, about 20,000 children younger than 5 years of age are hospitalized in the U.S. because of flu complications. Children younger than 6 months of age are also at high risk of severe illness from influenza, but are too young to get vaccinated. The best way to protect these children is to make sure the adults and other children around them are vaccinated.

To highlight the importance of vaccinating children against the flu, CDC-TV has released a compelling new 3-minute version of the video, Why Flu Vaccination Matters. Doctor's offices, hospitals, clinics, and community organizations can use the video to help inform parents and caregivers about the dangers of flu and the benefits of vaccination.

Users can download the video or the podcast at CDC-TV, or they can access it on their mobile phones. 

Click here to watch the full-length video or a 60-second version.

Seniors

Older Americans are also at risk of serious complications from flu. On average, people 65 years of age and older account for more than 90 percent of flu-related deaths and about 60 percent of all flu-related hospitalizations each year. The danger that flu poses to this age group makes influenza vaccination especially critical. Thursday, December 11, has been designated Seniors' Vaccination Day, a reminder that older Americans should get a flu vaccine each year―and that it’s not too late for them to get one this season.

Also, listen to the podcast, Seniors: Vaccinate for Your Health's Sake! (2:35 mins)

Healthcare workers

Friday, December 12, has been designated Healthcare Worker Vaccination Day. CDC and the US Department of Health & Human Services continue to recommend that all healthcare professionals who work directly with patients get an annual influenza vaccination. Yet statistics show that fewer than half (41.8 percent) of all healthcare workers were vaccinated against the flu during a recent flu season.

Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities around the country are prioritizing vaccination of healthcare workers through in-house vaccination clinics, incentive programs, and other innovative efforts. New posters encouraging nurses and allied healthcare workers to get vaccinated are available for free download. You can also share your agency's efforts with others on the NIVW Web site!

More Information

• CDC's influenza Web site (available in Spanish)
• Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine (available in Spanish)
• Influenza Antiviral Drugs
• Good Health Habits for Prevention
• Downloadable podcast
  • Flu, Your Child, and You ( 3:22 mins)
  • Your Child with Asthma Needs a Flu Shot! ( 8:09 mins)
  • Seniors: Vaccinate for Your Health's Sake! (2:35 mins)