Vaccination Protects Against Influenza.
US strength officials would like every American age-old 6 months and older to get a flu vaccine, and on Thursday they produced statistics they meditate should convince everyone to get vaccinated. "In the 2012-2013 flu season, vaccinations prevented at least 6,6 million cases of flu-associated illness. They also prevented some 3,2 million family from whereas their doctor and 79000 hospitalizations," Dr Tom Frieden, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a high noon press briefing. The benefits of vaccination seen in 2012-2013 were greater than the CDC had seen before and were attributable to the dangerousness of the season, he noted.

So "Last year was a rather severe season," Frieden said. "Even with those hospitalizations prevented, there were still about 381000 flu-associated hospitalizations. This is higher than we have seen during many flu seasons". During the after flu season, there were some 31,8 million influenza-associated illnesses and 14,4 million doctors visits for flu, according a CDC statement in the Dec 13, 2013 emanate of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Frieden said the best temperament to be protected from the flu is to be vaccinated.

Yet only 40 percent of Americans aged 6 months and older had been vaccinated by beforehand November, he said. Flu across the country is picking up and even greater motion is predicted in the coming weeks. Increased incidence has been seen in the Southeast and in some states beyond that area. "We be informed that it will increase in the coming weeks and months, but we cannot predict where and when and how severe this year's flu season will be.

What we can intimate is that the best way you can protect yourself against flu is to get a flu vaccine. It's not too late to get vaccinated". Also speaking at the flatten conference, Dr Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said, "Last year, flu hit pioneer and it hit hard. This year, we are auspicious because the flu season hasn't taken off wildly yet, so it's not too behindhand for you to get vaccinated and to make sure you protect yourself and your family".

Most of the hospitalizations prevented by vaccination last ripen were among people most at risk - the youngest and the oldest. "The hospitalizations that we prevented were first of all among people over 65 and people under 5. "We know we can do better. If we could have reached 70 percent of the citizens getting the influenza vaccine last year, we could have prevented an additional 4,4 million illnesses and we could have prevented 30000 more hospitalizations".

In addition, 1,8 million adulterate visits could have been prevented, the CDC researchers reported. As of mid-November, an estimated 40 percent of Americans venerable 6 months and older had received a flu try - 39 percent of adults and 41 percent of children. That's 3 percent to the fore of last year. "Most of the multiply is among adults getting vaccinated.

That's good news because we have been lagging behind in non-elderly adults getting vaccinated". Schuchat stressed that all expecting women should get vaccinated to protect both themselves and their infants. Also, all well-being care workers need to be vaccinated, she said. "We really don't know what this flu opportunity will be like, because most years the flu peaks between January and March," Schuchat said libidoforher. "But already three children have died from flu".