EFN

If you can’t decide whether you need a flu shot or not, the government says you do. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends yearly flu shots for everyone.

The CDC always recommended that people that were high risk, such as the elderly, health care workers and people with weakened immune systems were to get the flu shot. One of the problems with this recommendation was that many people did not know if they were high risk. Now the government advises everyone to get a flu shot. The only people that are excluded from the advised flu shots are children under 6 months who’s immune systems has not developed yet. Also anyone allergic to eggs will be advised not to get the shot.

The vaccine that is approved has four times more antibodies than a standard dose. It is called the Sanofi vaccine or Fluzone High-dose. It’s price is approximately $25 for a shot. This new vaccine for 2010-2011 will combine protection form H1N1 and the “Perth” H3N2 type A and B influenzas

When only certain groups were advised to get the flu shot in past years, it seems that only 33% would do so. Now that the recommendation is for everyone to receive this flu shot, maybe we can improve on the number of people willing to receive these possible life-saving shots.