Who should get the influenza vaccine during a shortage?
The CDC recommends that every year those at greatest risk of being hospitalized and dying from influenza get vaccinated. This includes adults older than 50 years of age, children 6 to 23 months of age, family contacts of children less than 6 months of age, healthcare workers, pregnant women, people with long-term heart, kidney, lung, or metabolic diseases, or compromised immune systems, residents of nursing homes, and those in contact with high-risk groups. To immunize everyone who needs a flu shot, we would need 185 million doses. This year we only have 53 million doses. This means that we have to let those people who are at the greatest risk of dying from the disease stand at the front of the line. For this reason, people between 50 and 64 years of age and adults with young children should not be immunized unless there is a surplus of vaccine later in the influenza season. Sadly, many who want and need the influenza vaccine will not get it this year and may be hospitalized as a resul
