High-Risk Patients and Their Contacts

This year, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its list of patients who should attend an early flu clinic to children age 6 to 59 months. The list of high-risk patients who should attend an early flu clinic, as well as individuals previously recommended for early vaccination, include:

1. High-risk patients:

• Persons 50 years or older
  
• Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities
  
• Patients with chronic heart or lung conditions, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure
  
• Patients with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, kidney problems, cancer, chemotherapy, long-term steroid treatment, sickle-cell disease or HIV infection
  
• Women who are pregnant during flu season
  
• Children receiving chronic aspirin therapy
  
• Individuals with neuro-muscular conditions (such as individuals with multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's and spinal cord injuries)

2. Healthy children 6 months to 18 years of age, as well as children of any age with high-risk medical conditions

3. Household contacts of high-risk patients (including contacts of children 0 to 59 months of age) and out-of-home caregivers

4. Health care workers and first responders

For a complete list of patients that fall into a high-risk category and more information on the flu, visit www.cdc.gov/flu.

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