The influenza virus, commonly called the flu, is considered a serious viral infection. It spreads easily from person to person through saliva droplets expelled into the air with a cough or sneeze, explains Drugs.com. The flu vaccine, or flu shot,...
The flu shot is a vaccine given to help prevent infection with the influenza virus. Influenza is spread easily through person-to-person contact. The influenza vaccine is recommended at the beginning of or during flu season, which runs from...
The flu shot delivers influenza vaccine in an injection, providing protection against seasonal influenza. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, babies age 6 months and older are recommended to receive the...
The American Academy of Pediatrics defines a toddler as a child between 1 and 3 years old. The Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines, Afluria and Fluzone, for the 2009-2010 flu season for administration in this age group. Clinical...
In its "Take 3 Actions to Fight Flu" campaign, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend immunization as the first step to reduce the risk of infection with seasonal and pandemic flu. In healthy adults, getting a flu shot can...
Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), seasonal flu accounts for over 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths in the United States. Getting a flu shot may reduce your chance of getting the flu by 70 to 90...
For the 2009-2010 flu season, the Food and Drug Administration approved two vaccines, Fluria and Fluzone, for administration in infants six months and older. No vaccine is approved for administration in infants younger than six months. As with...
Seasonal Influenza takes the lives of approximately 36,000 Americans each year, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2010, Solvay-Influenza reported a total annual cost of influenza to the U.S. in excess of $11.7...
Flu is a contagious respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 200,000 people in the United States are hospitalized for the flu and 36,000--mostly...
The flu vaccine prevents infection by the influenza virus. The vaccine comes in two forms: an injection or a nasal spray, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The shot or injection is a killed virus that can be given to...
The flu is a contagious respiratory infection caused by the influenza virus. Each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), flu affects 5 to 20 percent of Americans and causes over 200,000 hospitalizations and 12,000...
Influenza is a contagious disease that causes fever, chills, sore throat, cough, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. Infants, the elderly and patients with medical conditions can experience more severe and sometimes life-threatening symptoms, An...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu vaccine is effective in 70 to 90 percent of healthy adults under 65 years of age, providing that the flu strain matches the flu shot composition. The vaccine administered...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommends vaccination against influenza in children under five due to the higher risk of severe illness and complications in this group. For example, during the 2009-2010 flu season, the...
Each year, approximately 30,000 to 40,000 people experience fatal medical complications following infection with influenza or the flu, FluFacts.com reports. Receiving a flu shot can help reduce a person's risk of developing this virus, which can...
The seasonal flu vaccine is important for protection against the influenza virus. Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than two weeks, but some people will develop life-threatening complications (such as pneumonia) as a...
Flu shots are given to reduce the risk of falling ill after exposure to the influenza virus. It is possible to contract the flu virus after receiving the vaccine, but the illness is often milder than it would have been without the shot. In some...
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu can be especially serious in children younger than 2. Therefore, parents are urged to have their children vaccinated. Although no vaccine is available for infants younger than...
The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the flu vaccine to women as a part of routine prenatal care, especially if the pregnancy lasts more than three months out of the flu season. The flu season typically begins in...
A compromised immune system increases your risk of contracting viral or bacterial infections -- like the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu. Young children's immune systems are typically weaker, increasing their risk of disease. Certain...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the annual flu vaccine as the first and most important step towards reducing the risk of seasonal influenza. The flu vaccine is available in two forms: the flu shot and a nasal spray....
Of the 5 to 20 percent of Americans who contract the influenza virus each year, approximately 36,000 die from complications, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The flu shot may help decrease a person's risk of developing the...
Many doctors and medical experts recommend that individuals over six months of age receive the flu vaccine annually to reduce the risk of contracting the flu virus. Flu shots normally begin appearing at doctor's offices, hospitals, clinics and...
A flu shot is an inactivated vaccine; that is, it contains a killed version of the virus. It is typically delivered with a needle to the arm, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Within about two weeks of a person...
Influenza is a highly contagious viral illness that affects many Americans each year. The flu vaccine helps to protect the body from the influenza virus. Children, pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals are recommended by...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that all individuals over 6 months old should get a yearly influenza vaccination. This vaccine prevents the individual from developing influenza or developing a severe case of it....
Many companies have spent a lot of money attempting to convince the public of the necessity of the flu shot, pointing to specific groups as most at risk. However, a number of physicians have taken a stand against the idea, pointing to vitamin D as...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the similarity of symptoms may make it hard to know the difference between the cold and the more serious seasonal flu (influenza). Reading the symptoms correctly can help you decide when...
Pregnant women are at higher risk of serious complications from the influenza virus. To protect these women and their unborn babies, the major U.S. professional medical organizations--including the American Medical Association, the American...
