Journal-News.com

Area public health officials are gearing up for flu season and are urging nearly everyone to get vaccinated this year.

For the first time, the vaccine is recommended for children ages 6 months old to 19 years, a group that often spreads the virus to the most at risk: other children and elderly, health care providers said.

The recommendation expands the number of youths who should get flu shots annually by about 30 million nationwide, Centers for Disease Control officials say.

In previous years, the CDC recommended youth ages 6 months to 5 years get annual shots.

Jackie Phillips, director of nurses at the Middletown Health Department, hopes the expanded age limit encourages more to get vaccinated and thus reduce the spread of disease.

"We're finding that when you have an infectious disease, if you can keep children healthy, you can keep parents healthy,'' Phillips said.

In addition to targeting children, health care providers say pregnant women, people 50 and older, people who work in the health care industry, those with a chronic medical condition, and people who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities should also get vaccinated.

"We want everybody who can to get the vaccinated,'' said Tricia Anglin, nursing director of the Butler County Health Department. "We want anybody interested in preventing the flu to get the shot.''

The vaccine comes in both a shot and nasal spray.

The nasal spray is more effective, according to health care officials, because it contains the live virus and is sprayed in the nasal passages where the "bug" enters the body.

Health officials say residents don't have to worry about a shortage of the vaccine this year.

There are plenty this year, according to local and federal officials. The CDC say vaccine-makers have produced more than 146 million doses.

Warren County Combined Health District officials say area public health agencies have plenty doses of the vaccine.

In the last two years at least, they've requested fewer doses because more residents are getting shots from area grocery stores and pharmacies.

Warren County Nursing Director Lori Smyth said officials plan to offer the vaccine through April. But said residents shouldn't wait long to get vaccinated.

Influenza outbreaks can strike as early as October and typically peak in January.