In an attempt to reduce the number of people getting influenza or dying from it, on Wednesday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans to get their flu shots before winter arrives.

For the first time, federal officials urged parents to have their children older than 6 months of age vaccinated. Last year, the annual influenza vaccination was recommended for children 2 years and older. Therefore, the number of children targeted for the vaccine will increase by 30 million. But this should not be a problem for the authorities, since an ample supply of vaccine will be available, amounting to more than 143 million doses, enough to cover the necessity, Dr. Julie L. Gerberding, director of the CDC said Wednesday during a press conference.

Besides children ages 6 months through 18 years, officials also urged shots for pregnant women, people with chronic illnesses, people 50 and older, health care workers and caregivers. Talking in numbers, the CDC is recommending vaccines for about 261 million people, or nearly percent of Americans.

The CDC wants this way to keep Americans healthy and prevent complications coming with the flu. Annually, influenza kills about 36,000 Americans while 200,000 others are hospitalized. Seniors present a high risk of complications from the flu. That’s why the majority of flu deaths occur among this category of age. But the situation was worse last year, when 86 school-age children died of influenza. Also last year, the flu shots were only 44 percent efficient, but officials promise the situation would be different this year. Dr. Gerberding and other health officials said they believe this year’s vaccine would offer good protection against influenza after all three stains that make up the vaccine were changed this year. Two of the three strains in the last year’s vaccine didn’t match the influenza strains that circulated in the US, which led to its inefficiency.

The flu season lasts from December through March peaking in January and February. However, the CDC recommends getting a flu shot as early as October. The shot will provide immunity within two to three weeks and last throughout the flu season. There is no guarantee that once you get the vaccine you will be 100 percent safe but “there is nothing better to prevent the flu. It is still better than nothing.”

Children should be the first to get vaccinated and the CDC is urging all parents to pay special attention to them. Although there are rare complications in this age group, vaccinating children can stop the spread of flu. Besides, it is no longer a secret that parents with sick children lose about three workdays caring for them. Moreover, they might become sick themselves and lose another workdays caring for themselves. The measure is also a way of preventing the number of hospitalizations due to influenza.

The companies providing flu shots are Sanofi Pasteur, Australia’s CSL LTD, GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Novartis AG. As a novelty this year people can protect themselves against the flu through a special nasal spray that is as effective as a vaccine. Its maker is MedImmune, acquired by AstraZeneca Plc.