More Americans Urged to Get Flu Shots

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Last season, 69 percent of people 65 and older reported receiving a flu shot, Santoli said. "This is far below our national goal for this group which is 90 percent," she said.

Among younger adults, only 37 percent of those aged 50 to 64 and 31 percent of high-risk adults 18 to 49 (such as those with respiratory problems) reported getting a flu shot, Santoli said. In addition, only about 40 percent of health-care workers received vaccinations, she noted.

To improve the levels of vaccinations, the CDC is recommending getting a shot as soon as the vaccine is available in the coming weeks. And you can get a vaccination beyond the usual October/November window. A shot that is gotten in December, January and even later, can protect against the disease, Santoli said.

"Since influenza peaks in the U.S. in February, most years, we must use opportunities in December and January and beyond in order to protect more American from influenza," Santoli said.

For families faced with the flu, antiviral medications can be effective in helping to fight flu and preventing other family members from getting the illness from an infected relative, said Dr. William Schaffner, vice president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and chairman of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine's department of preventive medicine.

In a related development, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved expanding the use of the nasal flu vaccine FluMist to children between 2 and 5 years old. The nasal vaccine had been limited to healthy children 5 and older and to adults up to age 49.

"The goal of preventing influenza is now more attainable with the availability of FluMist for younger children," Dr. Jesse L. Goodman, director of the FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in a prepared statement. "This approval also offers parents and health professionals a needle-free option for squeamish toddlers, who may be reluctant to get a traditional influenza shot."

Speakers at Wednesday's teleconference also said that seniors should be vaccinated with the pneumococcal vaccine to prevent pneumonia. Rates for this vaccination are also low, and panel members urged seniors to get this vaccine at the same time they are vaccinated for flu.

More information

For more on the flu and the flu vaccine, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.