Information for
Health Care Providers
To ensure that vaccine meets the highest standards of quality assurance, vaccine
manufacturers are shipping vaccine in incremental stages. A percentage of
the available vaccine will be shipped weekly until all vaccine has been
distributed. In some areas, this may temporarily create more demand than
supply permits.
Vaccine supplies should be targeted to the elderly, children 6 months through 23
months of age, persons with chronic health conditions, such as asthma and
diabetes, and people with weakened immune systems. Individuals who are in close
contact with these high-risk groups also should get the vaccine.
Health care providers are asked to notify local health departments of any
hospitalized pregnant women with influenza, any severe pediatric illness or
death, or any patients with MRSA associated influenza.
Healthy individuals age 5-49 years of age may also use FluMist™, the first
nasally administered influenza vaccine to be marketed in the United States.
FluMist™ is not approved for use in any of the high-risk populations for which
influenza vaccine is most recommended. Additional information is available at
the FluMist™ Web site.
Also, please visit our Flu
Education Toolkit webpage. The
Flu Education Toolkit has
a selection of posters, flyers, brochures and tips to educate people about
preventing the spread of the flu. Spanish versions are available for most of
the materials. |
