Families Fighting Flu

FAMILIES FIGHTING FLU BOARD MEMBER SPEAKS AT 42nd ANNUAL
NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION CONFERENCE

Joe Lastinger Stresses Importance of Why All Children
Need to be Vaccinated Against the Flu

ATLANTA, Ga., March 20, 2008 — Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (FFF) Board Member Joe Lastinger spoke today at the Closing Plenary Session of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Immunization Conference in Atlanta, GA about his daughter’s fatal experience with influenza and stressed the seriousness of influenza and the importance of vaccinating all children against the disease. This was the first time a FFF member has spoken at this conference.

Since facing the personal tragedy of losing their 3½-year-old daughter, Emily, to the flu in 2004, Joe and his wife, Jennifer, along with the other member families of FFF, have dedicated themselves to educating people about influenza in kids in the hope that other parents will not have to experience the same heartbreak of losing a child to a vaccine preventable illness.

"My wife and I lost our beautiful, healthy daughter to the flu," said Joe Lastinger. "Emily did not have to die. Had she been vaccinated against the flu she may still be with us today. It’s a tragedy that no parent should ever have to experience, especially when it can potentially be avoided with a simple annual flu vaccination," continued Lastinger.

At the time of Emily’s death, the CDC did not recommend vaccinating children against the flu under the age of 23 months. However, in February 2008, FFF and the entire influenza community accomplished a monumental achievement when the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) expanded its influenza vaccination recommendations to include all children ages six months to 18 years. Previous recommendations included all children aged six months to 59 months. This new recommendation will be implemented as soon as feasible, but no later than the 2009-2010 influenza season.

Flu in Children
Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (FFF) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization established in 2004, that is made up of families and healthcare practitioners who have experienced first-hand the death of a child due to the flu, or have had a child experience severe medical complications from the flu. FFF is dedicated to educating people about the severity of influenza and the importance of vaccinating children against the flu every year. Through education and advocacy, we hope to improve the rates of annual childhood influenza vaccinations and help reduce the number of childhood illnesses and deaths caused by the flu each year. For more information about Families Fighting Flu, go to www.familiesfightingflu.org.

About the National Immunization Conference
Hosted by the CDC, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), the National Immunization Conference explores the latest developments in vaccine science, policy, education, and technology. The conference brings together a wide variety of local, state, federal, and private-sector immunization partners to explore science, policy, education, and planning issues related to immunization in general and vaccine-preventable disease. The goals of this year’s Annual Conference are to provide information that will help participants provide comprehensive immunization coverage for all age groups and explore innovative strategies for developing programs, policy, and research to promote immunization coverage for all age groups.

About Families Fighting Flu, Inc.
Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (FFF) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization established in 2004, that is made up of families and healthcare practitioners who have experienced first-hand the death of a child due to the flu, or have had a child experience severe medical complications from the flu. FFF is dedicated to educating people about the severity of influenza and the importance of vaccinating children against the flu every year. Through education and advocacy, we hope to improve the rates of annual childhood influenza vaccinations and help reduce the number of childhood illnesses and deaths caused by the flu each year. For more information about Families Fighting Flu, go to www.familiesfightingflu.org.

Families Fighting Flu, Inc. is made possible by unrestricted grants from MedImmune, Inc., sanofi pasteur, Novartis Vaccines, CSL Biotherapies, and The Clorox Company.

FAMILIES REJOICE IN CDC’S
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES
VOTE FOR UNIVERSAL CHILDHOOD INFLUENZA VACCINATION

Families Fighting Flu, Inc. Recognizes Importance of Protecting Children from
Deadly Influenza Virus

ATLANTA, Ga., February 27, 2008 — Families Fighting Flu, Inc., fully supports today’s vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand the current influenza vaccination recommendations to include all children ages six months to 18 years. Previous recommendations have included all children aged six months to 59 months. This new recommendation will be implemented as soon as feasible, but no later than the 2009-2010 influenza season.

"This is a very exciting day for Families Fighting Flu, as this monumental vote is critical to the wellbeing of millions of children," said Richard Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu; his four-year-old daughter, Amanda, died from influenza in 2004. "Today’s vote emphasizes the importance of vaccinating all children six months and older against the flu in order to protect them and their families from this potentially deadly virus. We strongly urge all parents to recognize the severity of influenza and get their children vaccinated against the flu every year," continued Kanowitz.

Children have the highest rates of influenza infection of any age group, with more than 20,000 children under the age of five hospitalized due to the flu each year. In fact, children are two-to-three times more likely to develop influenza than adults because of their less-developed immune systems. In addition, school-aged children tend to have higher rates of influenza infection because of their close contact with friends and classmates who frequently spread germs to one another. The flu vaccine can help children stay free of influenza during the flu season, and potentially help stop the spread of the virus to families and communities.

"More than 300 children have died from influenza over the past four flu seasons," said Diane McGowan, board member of Families Fighting Flu; her 15-year-old son, Martin, died from influenza in 2005. "Each death is an unnecessary loss that impacts a family, a school, and a community. This universal childhood recommendation will result in many more children being vaccinated and thus more lives being saved. I can’t help but think that had a recommendation been in place when Martin was alive I would have had him vaccinated and he may still be here today," continued McGowan.

About Families Fighting Flu, Inc.
Families Fighting Flu, Inc. (FFF) is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization established in 2004, that is made up of families and healthcare practitioners who have experienced first-hand the death of a child due to the flu, or have had a child experience severe medical complications from the flu. FFF is dedicated to educating people about the severity of influenza and the importance of vaccinating children against the flu every year. Through education and advocacy, we hope to improve the rates of annual childhood influenza vaccinations and help reduce the number of childhood illnesses and deaths caused by the flu each year. For more information about Families Fighting Flu, go to www.familiesfightingflu.org.

Families Fighting Flu, Inc. is made possible by unrestricted grants from MedImmune, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, sanofi pasteur, Novartis Vaccines, CSL Biotherapies, and The Clorox Company.

FAMILIES APPLAUD CDC’S
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION
PRACTICES VOTE TO VACCINATE MORE
CHILDREN AGAINST INFLUENZA

- Families Fighting Flu Recognizes Important
Step To Safeguard Children From
Deadly Effects of Influenza Virus -

ATLANTA, Ga., February 22, 2006 — Families Fighting Flu, Inc., fully supports today’s vote by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to expand the current influenza vaccine recommendation to include children aged 24 months to 59 months. The ACIP also voted today to evaluate a strategy of universal influenza vaccination. Families Fighting Flu supports this initiative.

The ACIP’s former influenza vaccine recommendation only included children aged six months to 23 months; otherwise healthy children older than age two were not recommended to receive the vaccine. This failure to vaccinate additional age groups may have resulted in the needless deaths of young children.

"The effort of the ACIP to pass this crucial vote represents an important first step in protecting the safety and wellbeing of children," said Richard Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu. Kanowitz’s four-year-old daughter, Amanda, died suddenly in March 2004, from complications related to influenza. At the time of her death, Amanda did not fall within the influenza vaccine recommendations and therefore was not vaccinated against the flu. "Families Fighting Flu encourages the ACIP to continue to examine the merits of universal vaccination for all children 18 years and younger, and ultimately expand the recommendation to include this age group."

Every year, children die in the United States from influenza and its complications. Children are the most vulnerable population during flu season due to their less-developed immune systems. In fact, they face a two-to-three-fold greater chance of contracting influenza than adults. The flu vaccine can help children stay free of influenza during the flu season, and potentially help stop the spread of the virus to their families and communities.

"More than 190 children have died from influenza over the past two flu seasons," said Joe Lastinger, secretary/treasurer of Families Fighting Flu, whose three-year-old daughter, Emily, died from influenza in 2004. "These are unnecessary losses that impact everyone in the community, including siblings, grandparents and schoolmates. With this expanded influenza vaccine recommendation, more children will receive the vaccine and more lives will potentially be saved."

About Families Fighting Flu, Inc.
Families Fighting Flu, Inc. is a group of families and pediatricians, incorporated as a non-profit in 2005, who have lost a child to the flu or whose child experienced severe medical complications from the influenza virus. Each year, children die from the flu and the Families Fighting Flu members are dedicated to providing comfort to one another as well as to educating others about the importance of vaccinating children against flu every year. The goal of Families Fighting Flu is to educate families and pediatricians about the importance of annual flu immunization for children. The organization is urging the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) — the group of experts who provide advice and guidance to the CDC on the most effective means to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases — to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children, to ensure that parents get their children vaccinated against the flu every year. For more information about Families Fighting Flu, go to www.familiesfightingflu.org.

Families Fighting Flu, Inc. is made possible by an unrestricted grant from MedImmune, Inc.

FAMILIES UNITE TO PROMOTE
ANNUAL PEDIATRIC FLU IMMUNIZATION

- Families Fighting Flu Alliance Seeks
To Educate Nation on Childhood Influenza Risk -

WASHINGTON, DC, OCTOBER 12, 2005 — Today, families and pediatricians from across the United States are launching Families Fighting Flu, Inc., a first-of-its-kind alliance whose aim is to reduce pediatric deaths due to influenza by promoting annual influenza ("flu") immunization for children. Family members involved in Families Fighting Flu have either lost a child to the flu or have had a child who experienced severe medical complications from the flu. The non-profit organization is urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to recommend annual influenza vaccination for all children to ensure that parents get their children vaccinated against the flu every year.

Families Fighting Flu aims to provide support to all families affected by pediatric flu-related deaths and the countless other families who have had their lives altered by influenza in previous years. The alliance encourages all families and individuals who have lost a child to the flu or whose young loved ones have suffered from influenza to unite for support and prevention. In addition, the alliance is working with pediatricians to help parents recognize the warning signs of flu and to prevent its spread.

"Our focus is on immunizing children because they have not developed the immunity to the flu virus that adults have and are therefore two to three times more likely than adults to develop influenza," said Richard Kanowitz, president of Families Fighting Flu, whose four-year-old daughter Amanda died suddenly in March 2004, from [complications related to] influenza. "In addition, children help spread the virus to their families and others in the community," Kanowitz said.

"Families Fighting Flu urges every parent or caregiver to make an appointment for their children to get a flu vaccination this fall," said Joe Lastinger, treasurer and secretary, whose three-year-old daughter Emily died suddenly from influenza in 2004. "Preventing influenza is one of the best things you can do for your child and your whole family," said Lastinger.