Did you know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that all children 6 months to 18 years get vaccinated against the flu each year? While many young children get the flu vaccine with their other shots, middle and high school students are much less likely to be vaccinated. Vaccinating students is very important.

Adolescents normally do not get as sick as the elderly from the flu. However, school children frequently are the ones who spread the flu. Often when there is a flu outbreak students start missing school before their parents get sick and have to miss work!

Right now a team from Emory University and the East Central Health District in Augusta are working in the community to provide flu vaccine to adolescents in middle and high schools. Your child can get this vaccine at no charge! To be a part of this great immunization opportunity, youth in middle and high school and their parents need to complete and return the set of forms distributed to them in school. Families can also get forms from the Lincoln County Health Department, Dr. Mason Woodard, Dr. Williams or Lincoln County Library.