Image by Flickr user ghinson

For the third straight week, the Department of Health and Enviornmental Control is reporting that the number of cases of H1N1 flu has fallen.

However the number of cases remains at epidemic levels according to the Center for Disease Control. 

It is still a good time to get your flu vaccine, and the various formulations are safe (New England Journal of Medicine).  Charleston County will be offering free vaccines at the ticketing counter at the Charleston Airport. 

The CDC recommends vaccinations for:

• persons aged 50 years and older;
• women who will be pregnant during the influenza season;
• persons
  who have chronic pulmonary (including asthma), cardiovascular (except hypertension), renal, hepatic, cognitive, neurologic/neuromuscular, hematological or metabolic disorders (including diabetes mellitus);
• persons who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by human immunodeficiency virus;
• residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities;
• health-care personnel;
• household contacts and caregivers of children aged <5 years and adults aged 50 years and older, with particular emphasis on vaccinating contacts of
  children aged <6 months; and
• household contacts and caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications from influenza.

• are aged 6 months--4 years (59 months);
• are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and therefore might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection;
• are residents of long-term care facilities; and
• will be pregnant during the influenza season.