“It’s just the flu.”
“I just don’t have time to go get vaccinated.”
“I’ve never gotten the flu before.”
“It’s too late in the season anyway.”
As the U.S. Surgeon General, I’ve heard all the excuses before. We all know the reasons why someone might not get a flu vaccine. Perhaps you don’t know all the reasons why you should – or how to convince the people you care about that they should, too.
Many people don’t realize that influenza (the flu) is a serious disease. Every year, flu kills an average of 36,000 people in the U.S., and puts more than 200,000 individuals in the hospital with flu complications.
This is a terrible loss of lives, a huge cost for hospitalizations, an enormous amount of missed time away from work and activities, and a genuine burden for families across the country.
Flu vaccine is the single best way to prevent the flu. Not only does the flu vaccine help protect you, but if you are vaccinated you can protect those who are vulnerable – including the elderly and young children, who are most likely to have serious complications from the flu.
This year, we are fortunate enough to have the highest supply of flu vaccine ever, although we recognize that many providers didn’t receive their full orders of vaccine as early in the vaccination season as they would have liked.
Fortunately, vaccine is continuing to be distributed during December. The time to get your flu vaccine extends well into the winter, since flu season typically peaks early in February or later.
That’s why National Influenza Vaccination Week is happening across the country Nov. 27 through Dec. 3.
For any individual who wishes to avoid getting the flu – or to keep from spreading flu to others – I urge you to call your doctor or local flu clinic to make an appointment for vaccination or use this online resource to find a provider close by: www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/keyfacts.htm.
For more information, you can also visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov/flu.
The American Lung Association is sponsoring a flu shot locator at www.flucliniclocator.org.
Rear Adm. Kenneth P. Moritsugu
Acting U.S. Surgeon General
Washington, D.C.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
