University of Virginia Health System

Flu Season On The Way: Experts Recommend Vaccinations

Those most vulnerable to the flu include young children, people over age 65, pregnant women, and those with chronic illnesses like asthma and diabetes, experts say.

Recent flu seasons dominated by more severe strains of flu have caused a jump in the number of hospitalizations and deaths from the respiratory illness.

That is why it is crucial that people - particularly those most vulnerable - get a flu shot this fall.

Small children are just as vulnerable to the effects of the flu, says Dr. Carol Baker, head of the section of pediatric infectious diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

"The hospitalization rates of children under the age of two who have the flu are equal to the rates of those over 65," she says.

Last year, 150 children - whose average age was 3.8 years, and nearly half of whom were primarily healthy otherwise - died because of influenza, Dr. Baker says.

Yet the rates of flu vaccination for young children and the elderly is low, the officials said. Last year only 4 percent of children between the ages of six months and two years were properly vaccinated and only 60 percent of those 65 and older received a flu shot.

CDC Recommends Shots for Young Children

While last year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "encouraged" flu shots for children aged six months to two years, it now "recommends" the shots for this age group.

And the agency is recommending vaccines for all women planning a pregnancy or already pregnant. Previous recommendations included only women already pregnant.

"There has been a startling increase in the number of hospitalizations for flu, to approximately 200,000 last year, and Americans need to do better to protect themselves and their families," says Dr. Walter Orenstein, director of the National Immunization Program, part of the CDC.

Annual hospitalizations for the flu now average approximately 200,000, up from 114,000 a few decades ago. And there were 36,000 deaths last year, compared to 20,000 annually just 20 years ago.

Influenza has many symptoms, such as fever, chills, aches, and general malaise, Dr. Orenstein says, "but most concerning are its complications, including pneumonia and heart and lung disease."

Federal health officials estimate that 94.9 million U.S. adults and children are at high risk for influenza and should be vaccinated.

This was not a huge problem last year, when 83.4 million flu doses were produced and 83.1 million dispensed.

This year, however, because Britain just suspended the license of a key US flu vaccine maker, only about 55 million doses are available, half of what is needed just for the most vulnerable.

While the CDC is urging hospitals and other healthcare providers to give flu-shot priority to high-risk individuals, including the elderly and small children, the numbers make it clear there just is not enough to go around - not for high-risk people, and especially not for healthy people.

CDC spokeswoman Karen Hunter says the agency hopes health officials across the country will save the shots for those who need them the most.

"We're recommending that healthy folks defer to the high-risk group," she says. "It's important for people to understand that, for healthy people, the flu is uncomfortable, certainly, but it's not typically life-threatening.

"There are also other things people can do if they are not going to be able to get flu shots, such as washing your hands and, if you're sick, staying at home," she notes.

Dr. Jeff Wiese, associate professor of medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, says, "The implications could be huge [such as the 1918 pandemic], or much smaller. It really depends on the virulence  (extremely infectious) of the virus and what percentage of the high-risk patients are infected.

"Undoubtedly, there will be an effect," he says. "The question is how big it will be."

Flu Shots Are Safe, Experts Say

Among the hurdles the health community has to overcome in selling the public on the importance of flu shots are several misconceptions about the vaccine, Dr. Orenstein notes.

"Flu shots cannot cause influenza - there is no live influenza virus in the shot," he says. "The vaccine is not just for the frail and sick - it is recommended for approximately 185 million Americans.

"Influenza can be very severe, leading to pneumonia, other complications, and even death. And lastly, the vaccine is usually effective for most persons," Dr. Orenstein notes.

Some parents fear that one of the ingredients in the vaccine, a preservative called thimerosal, could be associated with autism. It is a concern that Dr. Baker says should not deter parents from vaccinating their small children.

Medical studies have "reported no credible evidence" of a link between thimerosal and autism, she says.

Dr. Baker also said some vaccines are being produced this year without thimerosal. Parents can call ahead to their doctor to ask if that vaccine could be made available to their child.

Always consult your child's physician for more information.