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U.S. GOVERNMENT 2: Officials & Flu Recommendations

On Thursday, April 29, 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report that outlined new recommendations for flu vaccinations for children and infants. The CDC is a part of the U.S. government's Department of Health and Human Services. The role of the CDC is to try and protect the health and safety of people by providing information to the public, educating people and politicians about health matters, and partnering with groups like health departments, private businesses and the media.

The new recommendations state that all infants and toddlers between the ages of 6 to 23 months should get an annual flu shot. Anyone who takes care of kids between the ages of birth and two years--like parents, nannies, babysitters and daycare providers--should get a flu shot each year, too.

Why these new guidelines? Very young children, especially babies and toddlers, can sometimes get very sick from the flu. If you ever had the flu, you may have had a runny nose, sore throat or fever. Because babies are very young and not very strong, sometimes they have to go to the hospital when they get the flu, and that means they're at risk for an even more serious illness or problem.

So, in an effort to try and prevent babies and young toddlers from getting very sick, the CDC recommends that they get a flu shot every year. The shot helps prevent them from catching the flu.

--Written by Carla Shives

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