Posted on the BHIC Blog.
We are in the middle of flu season and it important to be aware that several groups are at at higher risk for influenza complications. People at elevated risk are:
- American Indians and Alaska Natives
- Children <2 years; adults aged ≥ 65 years
- Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
- Persons with certain chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, hematological, metabolic or neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions
- Persons with immunosuppression
- Women who are pregnant or postpartum (within 2 weeks after delivery)
- Persons aged < 19 years who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
- Persons who are morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40)
If you have not already been vaccinated, it is not too late. Please contact your medical provider for more information. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers information for health professionals as a tool to help public health and healthcare professionals with key information about vaccination, infection control, prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of seasonal influenza. For more information, visit their web site: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/index.htm [Urban Indian Health Institute]
Related articles
- Flu Cases Down In Colorado This Season (denver.cbslocal.com)
- How a New Swine Flu Virus Could Complicate Influenza Season (healthland.time.com)
- Influenza epidemic doubles number of cases per hospital (japantimes.co.jp)
- Flu Season off to Slow Start, So Far (nlm.nih.gov)
- Do flu shots cause the flu? 12 influenza vaccine myths busted (cbsnews.com)
