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December 9th Declared Second Annual Children's Flu Vaccination Day to Help Increase Vaccination Rates and Reduce Flu-Related Illnesses and Deaths

WASHINGTON, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ --

To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/fff/36289/

News Facts

• Families Fighting Flu (FFF), together with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are designating today, December 9, the second annual Children's Flu Vaccination Day to remind parents that it's not too late to get their children vaccinated against influenza, or "the flu."
• Children's Flu Vaccination Day emphasizes the critical need for all children aged six months through 18 years to get vaccinated against the flu. The day occurs during the CDC's annual National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 8-14, 2008).
• Children die every year in the United States from influenza and its complications. In fact, over the past five flu seasons more than 400 children have died from influenza, and more than 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized due to influenza each year.
• Only 22 percent of children six to 23 months of age were fully vaccinated against influenza during the 2007-2008 flu season, even though the CDC recommends that all of these children get vaccinated every year.
• To help spread the word about the importance of childhood flu vaccinations, FFF created an '/>"/>