| OCR Text |
Show Dept. of Health Urges Influenza Vaccination Dr. Luther L. Terry, Surgeon Surg-eon General of the Public Health Service, reported today to-day that an upswing in the influenza cycle is likely to hit this country during the fall and winter. He recommended immediate immedi-ate vaccinations for persons in the three groups which accounted ac-counted for most of the 86,000 flu-triggered deaths between September 1957 and March I960. These groups are: Persons Per-sons with heart disease, pulmonary pul-monary diseases, diabetes and other chronic illnesses, persons per-sons over 65; and pregnant women. We are probably due for some Asian flu outbreaks, since they come in 2 or 3 year cycles, and we are overdue over-due for Type B flu outbreaks which come in 4 to 6 year cycles, Dr. Terry said. Asian flu has been dormant here since March, 1960 and it has been more than six years since we had much Type B flu in this country. All persons in the risk groups should get a flu shot right now, Dr. Terry said. People who have not had any previous shots should have a second injection in two months. He emphasized that, once flu strikes a community, it is too late to protect the high risk groups. Vaccination now, ahead of the flu season, is the only safeguard. |
