Health department expands priority groups for
flu vaccine
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[DEC. 23, 2004]
On Wednesday the Logan
County Health Department announced an expanded list of priority
groups eligible to receive inactivated influenza vaccine this flu
season. Effective Monday, Dec. 27, the priority groups for
inactivated influenza vaccine will include adults age 50-64 and
out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of people in high-risk
groups.
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People in the high-risk groups for
serious complications from influenza include individuals age 65
years or older, children less than 2 years old, pregnant women and
people of any age who have certain underlying health conditions such
as heart or lung disease, are transplant recipients, or have AIDS.
In response to this season's vaccine
shortage, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously
recommended inactivated influenza vaccine for all children 6-23
months, adults 65 years and older, people 2-64 years old 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 6 months to 18 years on chronic
aspirin therapy, health-care workers involved in direct patient
care, and out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children
less than 6 months old.
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"We encourage all individuals in the
priority groups to be vaccinated," said Mark Hilliard, administrator
of the health department.
"Influenza activity has been low so
far this season," said Mary Anderson, R.N., chief communicable
disease nurse at the health department. "However, it is still early,
and the timing and level of influenza activity is unpredictable and
can change at any time." Currently only sporadic flu activity has
been reported in Illinois.
Beginning Monday, flu vaccine will
be available at the health department, 109 Third St., during normal clinic hours,
Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m.
[Logan
County Health Department news release]
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