For first time, flu vaccine aimed at key spreaders — children.
WASHINGTON - Lots of youngsters on your street? Watch out: Flu may strike your community sooner and harder than it hits the hip singles neighborhood down the road.
Flu-shot season begins this month, and for the first time vaccination is being pushed for virtually all children — not just those under 5.
It's a huge change, and one bolstered by provocative new evidence that children are key flu spreaders. Over four winters, Harvard researchers matched hacking adults' visits to Boston-area emergency rooms with Census data for 55 zip codes. Flu-like symptoms struck first and worst in the zip codes that were home to the most kids.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26611205KEEP THEM GERM SPONGES AWAY FROM ME!!!
Just kidding. I got the flu for the first time in my life in 1998. Caught it from a friend of mine who's asshole of a boss wouldn't let her take sick leave from Subway Sandwhich! She just came in, said "hello, i am sick, leaving now" and she left...36 hours later I was down for the count! Can you imagine all the people she got sick making sandwhiches?
Ever since then,I make sure I go to the HIV clinic very early in the season and get my shot. I even caught the flu a few years after getting my shot and it wasn't so bad..instead of five days being down and out, it was only one day. So it's totally worth it. GET YOUR SHOT!! GET IT EARLY!!!