Posted by Charles Waisbren on September 14, 2015 at 12:00 PM

Oh my gosh!  Summer is over.  The flu season is upon us.  It is time to get your flu shot.  Complications from the flu can be serious and can result in hospitalization and even death for some patients. The best way to prevent flu is to get vaccinated. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that vaccinations prevented 79,000 flu hospitalizations and 6.6 million flu-associated illnesses during the 2012-13 influenza season. Vaccination not only protects you but may prevent others from getting your flu. Even if you tend to fight off most illnesses, others might not be as lucky. Infants, the elderly and people with multiple medical conditions or weakened immune systems may not be able to fight off Influenza as well as you do.  Do the right thing for yourself and others.  Get your flu shot!

With rare exceptions, everyone 6 months and older should get the flu vaccine. Pregnant women, those younger than 5 or older than 65 and people with certain chronic medical conditions are at particularly high risk for flu-related complications. If this is you, you should definitely talk with your doctor about getting the vaccine.