December 8th, 2010

The American Lung Association of the Mid-Atlantic is kicking off the 2010-2011 Faces of Influenza campaign in Philadelphia. The campaign, now in its fifth year, is being launched during the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW), December 5 – 11, 2010, and encourages vaccinations through the holiday season and beyond.

Many community leaders are partnering with the initiative to reinforce that vaccination is the best protection available against disease for individuals 6 months of age and older. Local campaign partners include:  the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Council, Philadelphia Corporation for the Aging, the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia Immunization Coalition.

An excerpt from the campaign press release reads:

The CDC, with the support of leading health experts, now recommends influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months of age and older. In its fifth year, the Faces of Influenza campaign helps encourage all local Philadelphia residents to see themselves among the many “faces” of influenza recommended for annual immunization.

Influenza and its complications cause an average of 226,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. every year and, depending on virus severity during the influenza season, anywhere between 3,000 and 49,000 deaths. Despite the updated vaccination recommendations by national health experts, fewer than half of the population actually gets vaccinated.

Founder of the Community Asthma Prevention Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD has joined the Faces of Influenza campaign in supporting NIVW to spread the word about the importance of annual influenza vaccination for Philadelphia-area families.

To read the full release click here.