The current issue of Newsweek chronicles the history of influenza with pictures and illustrations dating back to the eigheenth century. The slideshow of images is available online. "It really puts things in perspective," says ACSH's Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. "The flu is serious stuff and something we still need to worry about."
The flu kills 30,000 to 40,000 Americans every year, and as ACSH's Jeff Stier points out, "Most of those deaths are preventable through widespread use of the flu vaccine."
In response to the new CDC recommendation that school-age children receive an annual flu shot in order to reduce their chance of coming down with the illness as well as to stem the virus's spread to more vulnerable members of the community, many states are considering school-based vaccination programs.
Whether or not these programs are enacted across the country, we hope all students and their parents take advantage of the large number of flu vaccine doses available this year.