Flu Shots: Come And Get 'Em!

Federal health officials say their recent prediction that more than 100 million doses of flu vaccine will available this fall and winter is holding firm.

That's a record amount, says Early Show health correspondent Dr. Emily Senay.

There's so much available for this flu season, she points out, that officials want to make sure those supplies don't go to waste. Even two years ago, when the country faced a severe shortage, it's estimated that 3 million doses ended up going to waste.

So, Senay observes, now that there's plenty, officials are reminding people to take advantage of the situation. This month and next are prime time for getting flu vaccines.

Their biggest appeal is to parents of young children. This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the group it feels would benefit most from vaccinations. In the past, that age range was from six months to a child's second birthday. Now the target group is from six months to the child's fifth birthday. Statistics show the flu is responsible for more visits to clinics and emergency rooms in that age group than any other illness.

However, says Senay, the message may not be getting through, resulting in a new publicity push from the feds.

A survey released by the CDC found 48 percent of Americans had no plans to be vaccinated in coming months. Thirty-eight percent said, incorrectly, that they're not at risk for flu or its complications. Twenty-six percent said they're not worried about spreading the flu to other people.

The CDC says many people think of the flu as no worse than a bad cold. But Senay cautions that it's a potentially serious disease. The flu takes about 36,000 lives in this country each year and puts about 200,000 people in the hospital. Even if flu virus doesn't make you seriously ill, you can very easily spread the virus to others if you're not vaccinated. You may put an elderly relative at very serious risk, or a pregnant woman, or a baby less than 6 months old who's too young to be vaccinated.

Senay adds that while 46 percent of the people in that survey guessed that the vaccine itself could give people the flu, it can't, when injectable vaccines are involved. Those vaccines are made from viruses that have been killed, so they can't give anyone the flu. Inhaled vaccine is made differently, from live virus, so there is some risk of illness there — but it's very small.