National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) is a national observance that was established to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) in 2005 to raise awareness and advocate for the flu vaccination through the winter season and beyond. NIVW is scheduled for December 7-13, 2014. Seasonal influenza, often referred to simply as “the flu,” associated with approximately 200,000 hospital admissions and as many as 49,000 deaths annually in the United States, according to the CDC.
H1N1, often referred to as the swine flu, is a new strain of influenza that made its debut early in mid-April 2009. With the upcoming seasonal changes, H1N1 is expected to make another appearance as it spreads from person to person worldwide. Are you prepared for this pandemic?