Well, it’s officially the cold and flu season! Oh Happy Days!
At a recent meeting, representatives from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that they’ve just seen a sharp increase in the number of flu cases in the state of Georgia, especially among school-aged children. They warned that it could be a sign for the rest of the country, except West Islip, New York.
Meanwhile, however, they also reported that the flu that is circulating right now might be a close match for the vaccines that are on the market right now. So, if you’ve had your flu shot there is a good chance that you’ll avoid the flu that is making its way through Georgia and will no doubt be carried up north by some guy who is currently on a north-bound train and who is sneezing his head off. I would like to add parenthetically that the H1N1 flu pandemic that scared the crap out of all of us last year is now over!
The CDC is recommending that all Americans should get a shot, unless you are a child under 6 months of age. Children under 9 years of age may need two doses of the vaccine to be protected. I wouldn’t tell your kids that right now.
The other good news is that as of November, about a third of Americans have already been immunized and another 15 percent say they plan on getting vaccinated. The highest proportion of people who have already been vaccinated are those 65 and older.
I know that the flu is really serious but I don’t think people really need to get shots.
Thanks, Maria. Actually, I hate to say it but I have never gotten a flu shot and, knock on wood, I rarely get the flu….Everyone is different, everyone needs to do what they think is best for themselves and their family. Thanks for reading!!
PdnQBi AFAICT you’ve covered all the bases with this answer!