American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign works with many “faces” of influenza – people who have experienced firsthand the seriousness of this disease and the importance of annual vaccination. They include families who have lost loved ones and are now dedicated to preventing similar tragedies from happening to others.

• Zack Yaksich lost his 5-year-old daughter in February 2003 due to complications caused by influenza.
• Daina Maxwell’s daughter almost died after contracting influenza in March 2007 and was hospitalized due to complications that exacerbated her asthma.
• Diane and Mike McGowan’s son Martin died of influenza-related complications at 15 years of age in February 2005.
• Linda DeLude, mother of two, dedicates her time to Faces of Influenza after losing her husband Barry, a Minneapolis firefighter, from influenza-related complications in March 2007.

Learn more about these and many other “faces” of influenza at www.facesofinfluenza.org.

Annual vaccination is the first and most important step in preventing influenza.* Since the flu season normally peaks in February or March, getting vaccinated is still the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family this year. Flu vaccinations take effect in only two weeks. You can locate a flu vaccination clinic by visiting our online Flu Clinic Locator.

The American Lung Association’s Faces of Influenza campaign is made possible through a collaboration with sanofi pasteur.

*Recent CDC reports note that one of the predominant influenza B strains circulating the U.S. is not included in this year’s vaccine. According to the CDC, it is too early in this year’s flu season to predict which strain will dominate or whether the influenza B strain will be prevalent this season. Influenza B is a variant of the influenza virus.

Annual influenza vaccination still is the best protection against the disease, even if the predominant strains do not match what is included in the vaccine. The vaccine can cross-protect against circulating viruses. This means the antibodies created through vaccination with one strain of influenza viruses will often offer some protection against different, but related, strains. This will often make illness milder and prevent complications.