National Influenza Vaccination Week---December 8--14, 2008

To help raise awareness regarding the seriousness of influenza and the importance of annual vaccination throughout the influenza season (i.e., including into December, January, and beyond), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Influenza Vaccine Summit, CDC, and other partners are conducting activities during the third annual National Influenza Vaccination Week, December 8--14, 2008. Throughout this week, CDC will highlight the importance of preventing influenza by vaccination of persons at high risk, their close contacts, and all those who want to be protected from influenza. CDC, Families Fighting Flu, and other partners also have designated Tuesday, December 9, as Children's Flu Vaccination Day to put a special focus on the importance of influenza vaccination to prevent influenza and its complications in children. Thursday, December 11, is Senior Vaccination Day, emphasizing the importance of vaccinating older persons, and Friday, December 12, is designated as Health-Care Worker Vaccination Day, promoting influenza vaccination of health-care workers. Annual influenza vaccination is recommended for the following persons: children aged 6 months--18 years; pregnant women; persons aged >50 years; persons with certain chronic medical conditions; household contacts and caregivers of children aged <5 href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5606a1.htm". Posters and educational materials for National Influenza Vaccination Week are available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/professionals/flugallery. Additional influenza information for health-care professionals and patients is available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu.