CDC expands flu shot recommendations

ATLANTA, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- U.S. health officials said a new flu vaccine should protect against the three main flu strains expected to cause illness this year.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a record 143 million to 146 million doses of influenza vaccine will be produced for use in the United States during the 2008-2009 influenza season. Several manufacturers began shipping vaccine in August, with most of the vaccine expected to be distributed by the end of November, the CDC said Wednesday on its Web site.

The government has expanded the number of people targeted for vaccination to include 86 percent of the U.S. population. The CDC, which previously targeted flu shots to children ages 6 month to 5 years, now says all children under the age of 19 should be vaccinated, The Washington Post reported. That adds 30 million children to the number advised to get the vaccine, the newspaper said.

The CDC recommends the vaccine for anyone at high risk of having serious flu complications or who lives with or cares for people at high risk for serious complications, including pregnant women and people 50 years of age and older.