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Seasonal flu hits children especially hard, even in seasons with no pandemics. Doctors put the word out this week: Everyone six months and older should get a flu shot, the sooner the better.
Vaccines are just starting to arrive at the sites where shots are offered: doctors offices, health-care clinic, drug store clinics, and others. This years dose protects against three strains of the disease, including the H1N1 flu virus that ripped through the country last year.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved vaccines for the expected upcoming influenza season. This year's dose -- you'll only need one shot this season -- will protect against three strains of flu, including the H1N1 flu virus that caused the pandemic last year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between five and 20 percent of Americans catch the flu every year, and approximately 36,000 people die as a result. The best way to protect yourself against influenza is to get vaccinated annually.
The flu season doesn't officially begin until October and it peaks in January. But the process of vaccinating everyone begins now, when doses are shipped to healthcare providers.
Click here for more information. To get vaccinated, call your doctor, local health department or drug store.
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