Editorial: Fighting the flu

Monday, Sept. 24, 2007 | 7:16 a.m.

For the first time in several years, there is no drama surrounding the supply of flu shots in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced last week that all is well - no laboratory mistakes, no production problems, no shortages.

In fact, manufacturers plan to ship 132 million flu vaccinations, an all-time high. The only problem now, the CDC believes, is getting people vaccinated. Of the groups the CDC recommends be vaccinated, only a fraction typically get the vaccine. For example, according to the CDC's most recent statistics:

"Flu is a formidable foe," CDC chief Dr. Julie Gerberding said. "It is not an illness we should be complacent about."

At best, the flu is miserable. Each year the flu virus infects up to 20 percent of the American population. An average of 200,000 people are hospitalized because of the flu and 36,000 die from flu complications. The flu season starts in November and hits its peak in February, but already health officials have noted there have been reports of sick schoolchildren in Hawaii.

And Americans apparently don't like the vaccinations. Roughly 15 percent of the vaccines last year went unused, and, sadly, Nevada trails the nation in the percentage of people who receive vaccinations.

This year, with the ample supply, health officials are encouraging anyone interested to get vaccinated. That is good advice. The vaccinations, which also come in a nasal spray, are the ounce of prevention that might save you a week on the couch, or worse.

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