Federal and local officials recommend getting flu shots early

The federal Centers for Disease Control and San Diego County Department of Health and Human Services are recommending that everyone age six months and above get a flu shot at this time of year.

On its website, the Centers for Disease Control recommend that even if supplies are tight, parents and guardians should have their children aged six months to 4 years be vaccinated. Other children (and adults) should be immunized if supplies are readily available, which it appears they are this year.

Other recommendations for vaccinations are for individuals that:

Have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, neurologic, hematologic, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);

Are immuno-suppressed (including immuno-suppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus);

Are aged 6 months through 18 years and receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection.

More Flu Information

flu.gov website, from the US Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control: More advice on who should receive -- and not receive -- the vaccine is available at the center's website.
For a list of clinics in San Diego county where eligible residents can receive shots is on the San Diego Immunization Project's website at http://www.sdiz.org/Home/Flu-Update-Fall-2011-PHC-List.html.
Other information for parents is available at http://www.sdiz.org/Schools-CC/Resources-for-Parents.html