November 15, 2007 "Don't get the flu. Don't spread the flu. Get vaccinated."National Influenza Vaccination Week begins November 26.

BATON ROUGE, Nov 15, 2007 - In recognition of National Influenza Vaccination Week, immunization staff with the Department of Health remind people that it is not too late to get a flu shot. In fact, as flu season usually starts at this time of the year and doesn’t peak until January, this is the perfect time to get vaccinated.

This year, National Influenza Vaccination Week starts on Monday, November 26 and runs to Sunday, December 2.  The theme, “Don't get the flu. Don't spread the flu. Get vaccinated.” reminds people that if they are infected, they can easily spread the virus to family members or co-workers.

According to DHH’s Office of Public Health Immunization Director Ruben Tapia, “As miserable as you are when you have the flu, it’s even worse to make someone you love sick.  By simply getting a flu vaccine, you can protect yourself and prevent the spread of the illness.”

Officials always stress the importance of influenza vaccination for those people at high risk, their close contacts and all those who want to be protected against influenza. Tuesday, November 27 has been designated as Children’s Flu Vaccination Day, with a focus on vaccinating high-risk children and their close contacts.

Begun in 2006, National Influenza Vaccination Week is a joint effort of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Disease Control, the National Influenza Vaccine Summit and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. 

 For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/flu to see a variety of flu-related e-tools and information for professionals and patients.

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