The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages everyone to get a seasonal flu vaccination and especially those at highest risk including: young children; people ages 50 and older; those with chronic disease such as diabetes, asthma or heart disease; pregnant women; and those who care for or live with people that are most susceptible to the flu and its complications. Patients who fall within the priority groups identified by the CDC for H1N1 flu vaccine include: pregnant women, individuals 6 months through 24 years of age, household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services personnel, and persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions that are associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza such as asthma and diabetes.

According to the CDC, 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths result each year from seasonal flu alone. In addition, in 2009, 47 million Americans (or approximately one in six) have already had H1N1 flu. While H1N1 flu is currently active nationwide, seasonal flu typically does not reach its peak in the U.S. until January or February and can occur as late as May.