National Council on Aging launches flu shot drive with CDC targeting seniors

WASHINGTON — The National Council on Aging last week introduced a new national Flu + You campaign to improve vaccination rates among seniors.



“Each year in the U.S., about 9-out-of-10 flu-related deaths and more than 6-out-of-10 flu-related hospitalizations occur in adults 65 and older,” stated Richard Birkel, acting SVP healthy aging and director of NCOA’s Self-Management Alliance. “For this reason NCOA wants … to ensure that people in this age group and those who care for them fully understand the importance of annual immunization and the vaccine options available to them."



As part of the Flu + You initiative, Carolyn Bridges, associate director for adult immunizations at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Birkel will be participating in interviews with media across the nation.



The Flu + You campaign also will be conducting regional programming in Arizona, Florida and Pennsylvania — all states with large populations of older adults — to reach local residents with information about the dangers of influenza and vaccine options for adults 65 years and older.



NCOA’s Flu + You campaign is made possible through a collaboration with Sanofi Pasteur.

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