The director of the National Center for Disease Control (Cenave) on Tuesday made an urgent call for the public to get vaccinated.

"This could be an especially long winter and colder than usual," said Oscar Velázquez Monroy, director of Cenave. "With the forecasts we are seeing we are encouraging the public to take steps now to get flu shots and pneumococcus vaccines and this is particularly important for children aged 3 years and younger."

Velázquez said records indicated that only 40 percent of the adult population had received flu shots to date, while somewhere between 60 to 80 percent of children have been vaccinated, though this number represents only the first dose.

"It´s likely that many of these kids still have not gotten their second dose and this is vital to ensure complete protection," he said.

Velázquez pointed out that 15,000 deaths last year were attributed to pneumonia, with nearly two-thirds of the victims being classified as elderly.

In addition, over 172,000 people were treated for bronchial- pneumonia last year.

"Naturally, the winter months are when we see the bulk of these respiratory disease cases, so we want to focus on preventative efforts," he said.

With the current cold front, Cenave has issued advisories encouraging the public to dress warmly, avoid drastic temperature changes and ingest plenty of fruits and liquids.

The Health Secretariat is also issuing bulletins warning people of the dangers inherent in winter.

This also includes warnings related to heaters, stoves and ovens since carbon monoxide poisoning and fires are among the leading killers in winter.

National Meteorological Service forecasts predict 50 cold fronts to sweep across Mexico this winter, up 16 percent over last year.