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Dr. Kim Mulvihill ReportingHealth officials say parents aren't taking the flu seriously enough. The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases says only about half of the young children who should be vaccinated against the flu are actually getting annual shots.
That percentage drops to less than a third when it comes to children with chronic medical conditions like asthma or heart disease. This year the government says it's got more than enough of the flu vaccine, and they've changed their recommendations on who they believe needs to get it.
This is quite different from last year's concerns of too many people and not enough vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control expects to have more vaccine than ever this year, by the end of October. The agency is expanding its recommendations to cover more children.
The government expects a record 100 million doses of flu vaccine this year, but more than 200-million people are considered high risk, plus children being vaccinated for the first time need two shots.
Dr. Julie Gerberding, Centers for Disease Control: "I hope we use absolutely every one of those doses, but we know that the demand for vaccine doesn't really match up to the list of people who we think really should have it."
In other words, most people who should get the flu shot, don't. A new survey finds half of Americans think the vaccine will give them the flu. Experts assure patients it won't.
For the first time, the CDC is recommending flu shots for all children six months to five years old, especially those with chronic illnesses. Two thirds of those kids don't get flu shots.
There's also a special call to health care workers -- half of them don't get flu shots either.
Surveys find most people don't take the flu seriously, but every year it puts more than 200-thousand people in the hospital and 36-thousand Americans die from it.
