This information regarding the seasonal Flu for 2011-2012 is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To learn more visit www.cdc.gov.

Will this year's vaccine protect me against the flu?
The flu vaccine protects against the three main flu strains that research indicates will cause the most illness during the flu season. This year's influenza vaccine strains are:

• an A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)–like virus;
• an A/Perth/16/2009 (H3N2)–like virus; and
• a B/Brisbane/60/2008–like virus.

The 2011–12 influenza vaccine can protect you from getting sick from these three viruses, or it can make your illness milder if you get a related but different influenza virus strain.

For more information about how the viruses in the vaccine are selected, visit Selecting the Viruses in the Seasonal Influenza (Flu) Vaccine.

Who should get vaccinated this season?
Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine each year. This recommendation has been in place since February 24, 2010 when CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted for "universal" flu vaccination in the U.S. to expand protection against the flu to more people. While everyone should get a flu vaccine each flu season, it's especially important that certain people get vaccinated either because they are at high risk of having serious flu–related complications or because they live with or care for people at high risk for developing flu–related complications.

• Pregnant women
• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• People 50 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• People who live in nursing homes and other long–term care facilities
• People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
  
  
  • Health care workers
  • Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu
  • Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated).