Have your received your flu shot? The CDC has stated “It’s still not too late to get a flu shot”. Researchers who evaluated the flu vaccine in a study of more than 1,000 children and adults found it 62 percent effective in warding off flu, according to a report in the Jan. 11 edition of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
“The take-home message is that the flu vaccine is moderately effective this year, and people who are vaccinated have about a 60 percent lower risk of getting the flu compared to someone who is not vaccinated,” Dr. Edward Belongia, an epidemiologist and a lead researcher on the report, said in a statement Friday. “It’s a safe vaccine that can help prevent the flu and its complications in both children and adults,” he said.
The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get vaccinated. The agency urges people at higher risk for severe disease — including young children, pregnant women, anyone with a chronic health problem and the elderly — to get the vaccine.
PHC still has the vaccine. Doctors report that it takes two weeks for the vaccine to become effective. The health center has the vaccine available in a number of ways. Seniors can simply bring in their Medicare card and request the vaccine. People with children who are under 18 can ask for the vaccine for their child at a reduced rate. Adults can get the vaccine for just $20. Call us at 713-554-1091 for more information.
Resource: Flu Widespread in 47 States, Vaccine Moderately Effective CDC, Reinberg, Steven. January 13, 2013. http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=672440
