The American Lung Association is making it easier for people to get their seasonal flu vaccine this year with the availability of its 2009-2010 Flu Clinic Locator. The largest online directory of public seasonal influenza vaccination clinics is now available at www.flucliniclocator.org.
The American Lung Association's Flu Clinic Locator is an easy-to-use online resource, enabling individuals to find the most convenient place to get their seasonal flu vaccine. The locator includes more than 650,000 clinic locations across the country, searchable by ZIP code. It also provides the option to set up an appointment e-mail reminder and to sign up for influenza-specific updates throughout the season.
At a national news conference today, health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) and other groups strongly urged Americans to get vaccinated as soon as possible to help protect themselves and their loved ones from this potentially deadly disease.
The CDC recently has expanded its recommendations for annual vaccination to include all children 6 months through 18 years of age. Influenza immunization rates among adults and children fall short of public health goals every year, despite government recommendations. Each year, seasonal influenza and its complications result in an average of 226,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths in the U.S.
"Vaccination is safe and effective, and is the best way to help prevent the seasonal flu," says Norman H. Edelman, M.D., American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer. "The Lung Association echoes the CDC's recommendation that all children - 6 months through 18 years of age - be vaccinated, since this segment of the population is among the main transmission sources of flu viruses."
Studies have shown that vaccinating children is likely to be effective at preventing influenza in populations at high risk for complications associated with the flu, especially older people.
"People in higher risk categories such as those 50 years and older in addition to people with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, COPD and heart disease must also make getting vaccinated a priority. ALA research has shown that the flu vaccine is safe for people with asthma," added Edelman.
Recent studies suggest that people 70 years of age and older who receive the influenza vaccine may not develop the same level of protection against the virus as their younger counterparts. The American Lung Association advises that older people still get vaccinated, because the vaccine likely provides at least some protection and is associated with few side effects.