Demand For Flu Shots Up After CDC Says No To Nasal Mist Vaccinations
SAN JOSE (KCBS/KPIX 5) -- Demand for flu shots may be higher this year because the popular flu mist is no longer being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.
The line for inoculations at the Mayfair Community Center in San Jose was out the door.
63-year-old Cecilia Dolan got her first flu shot ever on the advice of her daughter.
"She made me do it. I'm very glad," Dolan told KCBS.
The free flu shot clinic in San Jose was focusing its outreach on senior citizens, who may be more vulnerable to the virus.
"It's very important as we age, and our immune systems weaken, to try to keep our older adults healthy," San Jose gerontology specialist Janine Brae said.
Students in the Oakland Unified School District are also among those getting flu shots this week. The school district is providing the flu shots free of charge.
30,000 people die each year from influenza in the U.S., and thousands more are hospitalized.
This is the first year the CDC is not recommending the nasal mist vaccine, because it has been less effective in preventing the illness.
