This week is National Influenza Vaccination Week and Friday, December 10 is Young Adult Vaccination Day. Young adults were hit particularly hard by the H1N1 flu virus that caused so much illness last flu season. This virus is expected to continue circulating during the 2010-2011 flu season, along with other influenza viruses.
Below is an article drafted by CDC that highlights the importance of vaccination for Young Adults. You are welcome to reprint the article in your publication.
Don’t Wait – Vaccinate
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending flu vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. Even healthy adults 19 through 24 years of age should get vaccinated.
Life can get pretty hectic sometimes. Whether it’s school, work, or your social life, you probably think you have other, more important things to do than get vaccinated against the flu. Last season, the flu attacked adults 19-24 years of age much more than usual, which resulted in missed classes, missed work, and far worse–trips to the ER, hospitalization, or even death.
Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy way for you to protect yourself, and to keep from spreading the flu to friends and family. Get a flu vaccine. One shot or nasal spray will help protect you against the three strains of virus predicted to cause illness this season—including the 2009 H1N1 strain, which is still circulating.
If you think you don’t have time to get vaccinated, think again! It’s easier than ever to get a flu vaccine. And if you ’re healthy, you can get the nasal spray if you’re afraid of needles! You usually don’t even need a doctor’s appointment. Most pharmacies, drugstores, and supermarkets offer walk-in clinics that are usually very quick and have convenient hours. In addition, most university clinics offer free or reduced-price flu vaccination for students. But the longer you wait, the longer the lines are likely to be. Flu vaccine is now available in various locations. So don’t wait–vaccinate.
The few minutes it will take you to get a flu vaccine is much shorter than the days you might have to take off from school, work, or both if you get sick with the flu. It takes about two weeks to build immunity against flu, so it’s important to act now in order to be fully protected by the time flu outbreaks begin. By immunizing yourself against flu you’ll help protect your family, friends, classmates, and co-workers, too.