Protect your children from the flu - receive second dose of vaccine
In the past, flu pandemics have been known to peak in the month of February. Although the 2009 H1N1 flu cases are decreasing, it is still circulating and significantly affecting people younger than 25 years of age. Please do your part to help prevent a third wave of the 2009 H1N1 virus from occurring by getting vaccinated.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and most importantly, your children from the flu. During this flu season, we have witnessed that the majority of those at high risk of complications from the 2009 H1N1 flu virus are individuals between the ages of six months to 24 years of age. If you are a parent of a child six months to nine years of age, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends your child receives two doses of the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to ensure immunity from the flu virus.
The 2009 H1N1 vaccine is now available to anyone who would like to receive it, but it is particularly highly recommended that children between the ages of six months and nine years of age get vaccinated. Other high risk groups are:
- Pregnant women
- Health care and emergency medical personnel with direct patient contact
- People who live with or care for infants younger than 6 months
- Anyone from 6 months to 24 years of age
- Anyone aged 25 to 64 with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for flu-related complications
This information by M. Rony Francois, MD, MSPH, PhD, Director of the Georgia Department of Community Health, Division of Public Health
For complete information or to learn more about flu prevention, visit http://health.state.ga.us/h1n1flu or call 1-888-H1N1-INFO (1-888-4161-4636).
