Washington, DC – Federal officials urged Americans to get over their fear of flu vaccines – and go out and get a shot before winter arrives.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a fervent call for those who have passed on the vaccines to get one this year, when a record 143 million doses are available.
One of them will go to retiree David Stern, 66, who gets his shot every year.
“I do get the vaccine because I don’t want to come down with the flu,” the Manhattan resident said. “My breathing is dead as it is.”
Stern is among the vocal minority. Last year, 113 million vaccines were distributed – but the CDC said that means most of the 261 million Americans who qualified for shots or the nasal vaccine FluMist didn’t get one.
“It’s a fact that the influenza vaccines saves lives,” CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding said. The potentially deadly virus kills 36,000 Americans annually.
In New York State, the number of inoculations was higher than the national average among babies and just below average for senior citizens.
For kids under age 2, 28.4% of children in the state received the vaccine in the most recent statistics, compared with 21.3% nationwide.
About 72% of seniors were inoculated nationally; the state’s figure was 71.7%. Both figures were well below the CDC’s target of 90% for people aged 65 and over.
Tsewan Gonpo, 35, of Queens, said she would get the shot if she knew where it was available. “If you don’t want to suffer, you have to take it,” she said.
This year, the vaccines are available in a variety of places beyond a doctor’s office, including free vaccines at some schools and a “Vote & Vax” plan on Election Day.
GET THE FLU SHOT B4 WINTER! But wen i ask dr for it he gives me this look as though. . . .And asks Y?
I generally catch the flu every year but never bothered with the vaccine. I always thought that getting the flu was no big deal — uncomfortable yes, but so what, take a couple of weeks off from work, take your meds, drink your fluids, etc. etc, and then everything goes back to normal. Two years ago I once again decided against the flu shot and got so very sick that my breathing didn’t get back to normal for close to 5 months. Last year I didn’t make that same mistake and it was the first winter I can remember that I didn’t get sick. The flu vaccination came out recently, I’ve already gotten mine and I urge everyone to get one too.