点击显示 收起
Nov. 22, 2006 -- If you didn't get your flu shot before Thanksgiving, you're not a turkey. A shot in December -- or even later -- protects you and others.
Most years, flu season doesn't peak until February; and higher-than-usual flu rates may continue into May.
A flu shot starts protecting in just two weeks (six weeks for kids getting their first flu shots). Do the math, and you'll find there's plenty of time for your flu shot to pay off.
That's why the CDC and a long list of medical associations are sponsoring National Influenza Vaccination Week from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3. One organizer of the effort is Jeanne Santoli, MD, deputy director of immunization services at the CDC.
"We want to emphasize the need to continue vaccination activities through December, into January, and beyond," Santoli tells WebMD.
"Getting vaccinated as early as possible is a very good strategy," she says. "But given that flu tends to peak later in the winter, there is still time to get vaccinated well after Thanksgiving."
Adults need just one shot for yearlong protection.
Children under age 9 who have never had a flu vaccination will need two shots, given at least four weeks apart. Just one shot won't work for these kids.
And to be on the safe side, the American Academy of Pediatrics says kids who missed their second shot that first year should get both shots the next.