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Daily influenza vaccine update: Oct. 15, 2004

ATLANTA (GA) -- The Georgia Department of Human Resources will distribute a daily update on our efforts to address the national influenza (flu) vaccine shortage. The next update will be on Oct. 18, 2004.

Health officials continue to remind Georgians who do not fit into the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) priority groups to forgo the influenza vaccine this year.

There are 2-3 million Georgians in the CDC priority groups, and state health officials are focusing the influenza vaccine supply gets to the people who need it most. According to the CDC these are the groups most at risk:

All children aged 6-23 months
Adults 65 and older
Health-care workers involved in direct patient care
Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children aged less than 6 months
Persons aged 2-64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions
All women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities
Children aged 6 months-18 years on chronic aspirin therapy

State health officials are working closely with private and public healthcare providers and partners in the business community to get the influenza vaccine to Georgians in the priority groups.

Quote:
“There are many Georgians who need the influenza vaccine, and we do not know how much vaccine federal officials allocate to Georgia’s providers,” stated Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., director of the DHR Division of Public Health. “Without knowing how much vaccine will reach Georgia, it is critical that people who are not in the priority groups forgo the influenza vaccine this year.”

Toomey added, “We appreciate the continued support of our partners and the general public in helping us vaccinate individuals in the CDC’s priority groups.”

To view previous updates, please visit the following website:
http://dhr.georgia.gov/00/channel_modifieddate/0,2096,5696_27175800,00.html

For additional media information:
Richard Quartarone; 404-656-4937
rquartarone@dhr.state.ga.us

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