Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services
January 3, 2005

Contact:
Sue Denny
Section for Communicable Disease Prevention
573-751-6439

State Health Department Expands Recommendations for High-risk Vaccinations

Effective today, Missouri Governor Bob Holden has rescinded his executive order (04-22) that called on Missouri’s health care providers to strictly follow public health guidelines for providing influenza vaccine only to persons determined to be at high-risk for influenza and related complications. The Governor rescinded the order on the recommendation of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), because the guidelines for who should receive influenza vaccine have been updated.

The new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) allow more people to be eligible for flu shots this year. Effective today, the priority groups for influenza vaccine will now include adults age 50-64 and out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of persons in high-risk groups. People in the high-risk groups for serious complications from influenza include persons aged 65 years or older, children aged less than two years, pregnant women, and people of any age who have certain underlying health conditions such as heart or lung disease, transplant recipients, or persons with weakened immune systems.

In response to this season’s vaccine shortage, DHSS previously recommended influenza vaccine for all children aged 6–23 months, adults aged 65 years and older, persons aged two to 64 years with underlying chronic medical conditions, all women who will be pregnant during the influenza season, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, children aged six months to 18 years on chronic aspirin therapy, healthcare workers involved in direct patient care, and out-of-home caregivers and household contacts of children less than six months old.

The revised recommendations also include the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and expand the groups of eligible children to receive VFC influenza vaccine to include VFC-eligible children who are household contacts of persons in high-risk groups.

Since the vaccine shortage was announced early this fall, DHSS has worked closely with Missouri’s Local Public Health Agencies (LPHAs) to determine the actual need for vaccine under the guidelines as well as with the CDC to obtain as much vaccine as has been available. DHSS continues to place vaccine orders for the LPHAs and other providers. It now appears that there will be enough vaccine doses available in Missouri to accommodate high-risk persons under the expanded guidelines.

DHSS still encourages everyone who is considered high risk for influenza complications to continue to seek vaccinations. There still is plenty of time to get flu shots before the height of Missouri’s flu season, which usually does not start until as late as February. People should continue to work closely with their healthcare providers and LPHAs to determine where and when flu vaccine will be available.

Everyone can take practical steps to help prevent spread of flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Keep your distance from others if you’re sick.
• When possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick, and don’t send your children to daycare or school if they are sick.
• Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash your hands often.
• People, especially those in high-risk categories, should consult with their doctors about getting a pneumococcal vaccine especially if unable to get a flu shot.

Governor Holden’s Executive Order No. 04-22 can be accessed at: http://www.sos.mo.gov/library/reference/orders/default.asp

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