National Influenza Vaccination Week

Florida Department of Health recognizes November 27 as Children's Flu Vaccination Day and reminds Floridians that the week after Thanksgiving, November 26 to December 2, is National Influenza Vaccination Week.

This year’s theme, “Protect Yourself and the Ones You Love Against the FLU. Get Vaccinated!”, highlights the importance of continuing influenza (flu) vaccination throughout the winter months and beyond. “Receiving influenza vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu,” Charles H. Alexander, Bureau Chief of Immunizations said. “Because children make up more than 25 percent of Florida’s population, we can protect our most precious resource by ensuring all eligible children receive flu vaccine.”

Parents and caregivers can contribute to the safety and well-being of children by vaccinating children, especially high-risk youth, and vaccinating the close contacts of children. Each year, over 20,000 children under age five are hospitalized from influenza. Children under age two are as likely to be hospitalized as adults who are 65 or older.

Top 3 reasons to get flu vaccine:

* Prevent influenza-related death

* Prevent severe illness

* Protect other people

In the U.S., influenza results in approximately 200,000 hospitalizations each year. Annually, over 36,000 people in the U.S. die from the flu, and most are age 65 or older. More people die from flu than from any other vaccine-preventable disease.