With flu season in full swing, it’s important that you get vaccinated for National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) if you haven’t already.
When is NIVW? December 4-10, 2016
The Timing of NIVW
Flu vaccinations are estimated to drop quickly after the month of November. The preconceived notion being that people think it’s too late to get vaccinated after November. But this is simply not true!
- The CDC chose December for NIVW to remind people that despite the holiday season, it’s not too late to get your flu vaccine.
- If you haven’t been vaccinated but already got sick, you can still benefit from the vaccination because it protects against three or four influenza viruses.
- If you haven’t gotten sick yet, it’s important to know that as long as the flu virus is spreading and causing illness, vaccinations are your best way of protecting yourself from future illnesses.
- It also contributes to a phenomenon called “herd immunization.” This is when healthy people act as a barrier to protect those who have not developed immunity yet.
Vaccination for People at High Risk
Another goal of NIVW is to relay the importance of the vaccine for people who are at high risk for developing flu-based complications.
- There are people who have a high risk of flu complications including young children, pregnant women, folks with chronic health conditions, and people aged 65 and older.
- For healthy individuals, the flu is about a week’s worth of suffering followed by a recovery. For those who may develop complications, the flu can lead to a hospital visit, or worse.
Vaccinations are nothing short of a scientific miracle. Measles, polio, and smallpox are only some of the illnesses that have been nearly eradicated thanks to scientists and vaccines. Contact the insurance professionals at Donald Weiss Insurance Services in Santa Monica for all of your health care needs throughout Southern California.