In general, it is recommended that anyone who wants to reduce his or her chances of getting the flu should be vaccinated. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that these high-risk groups of people receive a flu vaccine:
- All persons, including school-age children, who want to reduce the risk of becoming ill with influenza or of transmitting influenza to others
- All children age 6 months to 18 years of age
- All persons age 50 years and older
- Children and adolescents (age 6 months to 8 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who therefore might be at risk for developing Reye syndrome after an influenza virus infection
- Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season
- Adults and children who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, hematological, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus)
- Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV)
- Adults and children who have any condition that can compromise respiratory function or the handling of respiratory secretions, or that can increase the risk for aspiration (for example, cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injuries, seizure disorders, or other neuromuscular disorders)
- Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities
- Healthcare personnel
- Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of children age 5 years and younger and adults age 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of children age 6 months
Healthy household contacts (including children) and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.
