Healthy People Urged To Postpone Immunization Until November.(Brief Article)

2001 NOV 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- New recommendations for influenza vaccination issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are now in effect, urging health care providers to prioritize vaccination of the elderly and chronically ill through the end of October. The recommendations state that anyone who does not fall into a high-risk category should wait until November to be immunized.

The CDC recommendations, published in the April 20, 2001, issue of Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, also prioritize vaccination of health care workers through October to prevent the spread of influenza to their high-risk patients.

"It is important for vaccine first be offered to people at high-risk of serious, life threatening complications from influenza and to those who care for these individuals," said William Schaffner, MD, professor and chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. "Physicians and other health care providers should begin vaccinating high-risk patients as soon as vaccine becomes available, ensuring that persons over 65 years of age, and children and adults at high-risk are protected this flu season."

The CDC further stresses that health care providers continue offering influenza vaccine to high-risk patients throughout the influenza season. Individuals considered at high risk are:

* Persons 65 years of age and older

* Persons with chronic medical conditions including asthma, diabetes, kidney dysfunction, or cardiovascular or pulmonary disease

* Those with deficient immune systems (e.g. HIV or cancer patients)