Why Aren't The Elderly First For Vaccine?

September 1, 2009 -- Questions:Why aren't the elderly the first to get the swine flu vaccine?

Answer: This particular virus is predominantly infecting and causing complications in younger people. That's different than the usual seasonal year, where it's primarily older people. For that reason, the CDC is recommending five groups of people who will be first in line to get the vaccine: young children, the caretakers of these children – and by children I mean up to age four – pregnant women, and healthcare workers. And then finally anybody who has chronic conditions under the age of 65 that put them at higher risk. And that major risk right now seems to be people who have asthma.

For reasons that are not entirely clear, people with asthma have had much more in the way of complications and even deaths, unfortunately, due to this virus. So they will be the primary groups that will be first in line to receive vaccine.