Immunize For Good | Respect the Facts. Protect Your Child. Immunize for Good.

Colorado health officials say this year's flu season has affected more than three times the number of people it usually does. The Denver Post reported Wednesday that the state typically has about 150 flu hospitalizations by mid-December. But this year, 566 people have already gone to the hospital for influenza. [+] more

A Washington state law aimed at discouraging nonmedical childhood vaccine exemptions seems to have worked, a new study finds. The legislation, enacted in 2011, required parents to talk to a doctor before they could get their child exempted from vaccinations for nonmedical reasons. Researchers found that after the law went into effect, the state's overall vaccine exemption rate fell by 40 percent. [+] more

As the flu barrels across the United States, the good news is that this year's vaccine may work better than many expected. [+] more

Most people know: If you got a flu shot this year, next year you’ll need it again. This is because the virus changes, usually rendering the previous year’s vaccine partly or totally useless. And it’s no secret that the flu vaccine’s effectiveness falls well short of what scientists and public health officials would like to see. Yes, it reduces the severity of influenza infections and prevents thousands of deaths and hospitalizations every year, but nowhere near other recommended vaccines. But why does the virus change so much every year? Why does the vaccine’s effectiveness vary so much? Here’s the explainer you’ve been waiting for. [+] more