Home/Is the flu vaccine recommended for certain people?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends an annual flu vaccine for people over the age of 6 months. Flu vaccine is particularly important for people at high risk of serious flu complications:

  1. People at high risk for complications from the flu.
    • People 65 years or older, regardless of health status.
    • People living in a nursing home or long-term care facility.
    • People 6 months or older with chronic heart or lung conditions, like asthma.
    • People 6 months or older who has a recent history of metabolic diseases, chronic kidney disease or a weakened immune system.
    • People 6 months to 18 years who is on long-term aspirin therapy. (People in this age group that take aspirin and get sick with the flu are at a risk of developing Reye syndrome.) Visit our Reye syndrome webpage to learn more.
    • Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season and women up to two weeks after delivery..
    • All children under 2 years old.
  2. People 50 to 64 years old.
    • Nearly one-third of people 50 to 64 years old in the United States have medical conditions that increase their risk of potentially serious flu complications.
  3. People who will be in close contact with someone at high risk for complications from the flu (see above).
    • This includes all health care workers, caregivers of children 6 to 23 months old, and close contacts of people 65 years or older.
2018-08-17T14:53:54-07:00
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