Pregnant Women, Children and Caregivers Urged to Get Flu Vaccine

As part of National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has designated Monday, Dec. 6, as Family Vaccination Day to highlight the importance of vaccination for the entire family. Flu vaccination is especially important for pregnant women, children and caregivers of children younger than 6 months of age since they are either at a higher risk of developing serious complications from influenza, or they care for those who are.

Annual flu vaccination is the first and most important step in protecting against the flu. Outreach activities for Family Vaccination Day include messages from the U.S. Surgeon General, Regina Benjamin, as well as outreach activities with Families Fighting Flu and Twitter Moms.

In the U.S. each year an average of 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of flu complications. Pregnant women are also at increased risk of developing serious complications from flu.

Influenza is a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death. The first and most important step in protecting against the flu is to get a flu vaccine each season before the traditional winter peak in flu activity. For a complete listing of NIVW activities and details on the seasonal flu, visit www.flu.gov/getvaccinated.