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Flu Vaccine Offers Extra Protection

540 views · Published 2 September 2013 · 1:44 · Indexed 5 October 2026

Channel: NBC 15 · 2013 · News & Politics

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MOBILE, Ala. (WPMI) Flu season is upon us. You've probably already seen the advertisements for flu shots in pharmacies across our area. And the time to get vaccinated is now.For the first time, certain vaccines will guard against four strains of the flu instead of the usual three.That's because kids tend to catch the newly added strain more often.But if you want it, go early, because there's only going to be about 30 million doses of the flu vaccine that offer the four strain protection.Keep in mind that all of the nasal spray versions this year will be the new four strain variety. But the nasal vaccine is only for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who aren't pregnant.Federal health officials recommend a yearly flu shot for nearly everyone starting at 6 months of age.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 24,000 people die each flu season.At the Urgent Care on Schillinger Road in Mobile, doctors said they've already treated kids with the flu even though flu season doesn't peek until January.It seems like it's kind of picked up a little bit earlier this year than it has in the past. We had that same problem back in 2009. We've seen cases of Influenza A and Influenza B already and we do expect it to start getting worse now that the kids are congregating together and germs are starting to spread, said Dr. Darren Waters.In addition to the new brand that offers a little extra protection, there's also an egg free shot for people with allergies and a shot just for people 65 and older.The CDC isn't recommending one type of vaccine over the other, it's a patient's preference. But to find what you're looking for you may have to shop around.

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