|
Contact: Lori Maldonado
Public Information Specialist
(303) 692-2028
Cindy Parmenter
Director, Office of Communications
(303) 692-2013
For Immediate Release Monday, December 13, 2004
State Health Officials Expand Age Range Allowing More People to Receive Flu
Shots
DENVER—Douglas H. Benevento, the executive director of the Colorado Department
of Public Health and Environment Monday announced that the age of individuals
who can receive flu shots in Colorado has been lowered to include all
individuals aged 50 and older.
Benevento said, “We want at-risk individuals who have not yet received their
shots to continue to do so. However, to assure all available vaccine is
utilized, we have expanded the list of individuals who can receive flu shots.”
He said the decision was made after making one final push last week to encourage
at-risk individuals to get their flu shots if they had not done so already.
“Given the response we have received to date that most at-risk individuals who
want to receive their flu shots have done so, we thought it was important to
expand the list,” Benevento said.
“We will monitor the response we get from this announcement to determine when we
might open up flu shots to all Coloradans.”
Information about where to obtain flu shots can be found by
calling (303) 692-2633 in the Denver metropolitan area or 1-888-692-0269
statewide to hear a recorded list of flu clinics in various sections of the
state.
|
Boulder County Residents: A list by town of all flu
clinics scheduled across the state is available on the Web at
www.bouldercountyflu.org. |
If interested persons still cannot find a place to receive a flu shot after
contacting possible sources in their communities, they can call the Colorado
Helpline at
1-877-462-2911. Names and telephone numbers will be taken and calls returned by
Department of Public Health and Environment Flu Program staff members.
Individuals who can receive the flu shot now include:
At-risk individuals:
-
All children aged 6-23 months of age.
-
Adults 65 years of age and older.
-
Persons 2-65 years of age with underlying chronic medical conditions such as
heart disease; lung diseases, including asthma; diabetes; kidney disease; blood
disease; or are immune compromised as a result of infection or medications they
are required to take.
-
Women who are pregnant during the flu season.
-
Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
-
Children 24 months to 18 years of age who are on chronic aspirin therapy.
-
Health-care workers who come into direct contact with patients.
-
Out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children under six months of
age.
Top of Page
|
