Who is High Risk and Needs a Flu Shot?
Fall is here and that means flu season is just around the corner. Unlike the common cold, or other minor ailments that people mistakenly call "the flu", real influenza is a major illness that can have life-threatening complications for people with specific high-risk conditions, including:
- People 50 years of age and older.
- Women who will be pregnant during the flu season. The flu shot may be received in any trimester.
- People with long-term health problems such as heart conditions, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, kidney failure, some blood diseases such as sickle cell anemia, lowered immunity due to either illness or medication, and children and teens (6 months to 18 years of age) that are on long-term aspirin therapy.
- People with certain conditions that can cause breathing problems, such as neuromuscular disorders.
- All children 6-59 months of age.
- Close contacts of all of the above.
- Out-of-home caretakers of infants 0-23 months of age.