A record number of flu vaccine doses – 132 million – will be available this flu season, officials from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention disclosed this week. They are urging more at-risk people and healthcare workers to receive them.
The percentage of people receiving the vaccine has declined in recent years. During the 2005-2006 season, all states reported lower immunization rates than the targeted national average of 60% American adults who showed a vulnerability to the flu.
Only 40% of medical care personnel — another key population — received the vaccination in 2005-2006. The nursing home industry has increasingly supported resident and staff vaccinations as a way to minimize infections.
