Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

Newser - Current News - Breaking Stories


Feds Target Kids for Flu Shots

Posted Sep 29, 08 2:12 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Kids are the focus of flu vaccination efforts this year in an unprecedented push to lower the overall number of US infections, the Los Angeles Times reports. Children get the flu more often than adults, and research suggests they are biologically more effective at spreading it; for the first time, federal guidelines recommend individuals between 6 months and 18 years old get the vaccine.

Flu efforts have expanded from a focus on the elderly to preventing the spread of the disease among children. "This is the concept of herd immunity," explains a pediatrics expert. "The more people you vaccinate, the less likely you are to see infection in people who are not vaccinated."
Source: Los Angeles Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon
With the germ-spreading capability of children well documented, officials think vaccinating them against the flu will reduce cases in the US population as a whole.   (AP Photo)
Officials think vaccinating children could limit the spread of flu this year among the US population as a whole.   (AP Photo)
Previous flu-vaccine focused on the elderly, who are more susceptible to flu's worse effects.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Related Threads

(1 of 1)



Loading...

Today's Most Popular

[ Stories ]

Threads

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories