Each fall as children begin making their way back to school and as mild weather begins to set in, it should serve as a reminder that the flu season is not too far around the corner. Immunize El Paso has teamed up with El Paso Area School Districts, the City of El Paso and the County of El Paso to introduce the 2009 flu shot campaign. This year’s schedule will take them to area schools, senior centers, nutrition centers and neighborhood community centers. Campaign materials, schedules and posters will bear the public health message “Get your flu shot. Wash your hands. Stay home if you’re sick”.
Health officials warn that this could be the most important year ever to get your flu shot. Each year, seasonal flu hospitalizes over 200,000 people and kills 36,000 Americans each year – 3,000 of them being Texans.
“Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against the flu” said Dusty Warden, outreach coordinator for Immunize El Paso. “The sooner you get vaccinated, the sooner you will begin to build antibodies, which takes about 2 weeks” he continued.
Immunize El Paso has over 20,000 doses in flu shots available for distribution this year and expects vaccination supplies to be sufficient, however with heightened demand this year there is a possibility that vaccinations could be depleted ahead of schedule. All people are encouraged to get vaccinated and get vaccinated early.
Target Groups for Vaccination
People recommended for seasonal influenza vaccination during the 2009-10 season remain the same as the previous season:
• Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday
• Pregnant women
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
o Health care workers
o Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
o Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated)
