In the first place influenza vaccination should be given to protect people who are most likely to have serious health problems if they get influenza. These people are:

• Persons who are 65 years of age and older.
• Adults and children who have a chronic heart or lung disease
• Adults and children who have required regular medical follow-up or hospitalization during the preceding year because of a chronic metabolic disease (like diabetes), kidney disease, a blood disorder, or a weakened immune system (including people with HIV/AIDS).
• Women who will be pregnant during the influenza season.
• Children aged 6 to 23 months.
• Children and adolescents (aged 6 months to 18 years) who take aspirin daily

Approximately 20% of the population in Western –Europe and the United States is included in one or more of these risk groups.

Vaccination is recommended for persons aged 50 – 64 years because this group has an increased prevalence of persons with high-risk conditions. Estimated rates of influenza-associated pulmonary and circulatory deaths/100,000 persons were 0.4 – 0.6 among persons aged 0 – 49 years, 7.5 among persons aged 50 – 64 years, and 98.3 among persons of 65 years or older. Persons aged 50 – 64 years without high-risk conditions also receive benefit from vaccination in the form of decreased rates of influenza illness, decreased work absenteeism, and decreased need for medical visits and medication, including antibiotics.

Persons who can transmit influenza to those at high risk. Persons who are clinically or sub-clinically infected can transmit influenza virus to persons at high risk for complications from influenza. Decreasing transmission of influenza from caregivers and household contacts to persons at high risk might reduce influenza-related deaths among persons at high risk.

• Household contacts and persons who take care of a baby less than 6 months old because these children cannot be vaccinated themselves.
• Physicians, nurses, and other personnel who have contact with patients or residents in nursing homes, chronic-care facilities, hospital and outpatient-care settings, including medical emergency response workers;
• Household contacts (including children) of and persons who provide home care to persons in groups at high risk.

General Population: Anyone anywhere can catch Influenza and influenza vaccine can be administered to any person aged 6 months or older to reduce the chance of becoming infected with influenza. Persons who provide essential community services should be considered for vaccination to minimize disruption of essential activities during influenza outbreaks. Students or other persons in who reside in dormitories should be encouraged to receive vaccine to minimize the disruption of routine activities during epidemics.