Public Health officials urge residents to get flu shot as soon as possible

In the fall comes the influenza vaccine season. Minnesota health officials are calling on state residents to be vaccinated against the flu.

The recent death of a Californian child following flu complications adds to the urgency of the message.

Jennifer Heath of the Vaccine Preventable Disease team at the Minnesota Health Department said the flu season could begin anytime. Heath said only about half of the eligible people receive the flu shot. She added that if more people were vaccinated, fewer people would get sick, even people who do not get vaccinated.

"The influenza vaccine is extremely beneficial at the population level," Heath said. "Influenza illness is very common and we actually avoid a lot of illnesses, hospitalization and other problems such as disability during immunization."

Heath said the flu shot was widely available. It is recommended for almost everyone from six months old and up. A nasal mist is available for people aged 2 to 49 years.

Heath said that the effectiveness of the vaccine was only about 50% during the last influenza season. Nevertheless, public health officials said that people get better with vaccination than without it.

Public health officials said 2,522 people in Minnesota had been hospitalized because of a confirmed flu during the last influenza season; 126 deaths related to influenza have been reported. Health officials confirmed that two children died of flu-related complications.