Its that time of year again, where the flu spreads like wildfire. Be prepared this fall and winter by getting the flu shot protect your family and yourself from this contagious sickness!
Think back to the last time you got a shot. Did the doctor cover the wound with a cartoon character-printed bandage and treat you to a lollipop? If so, you are way overdue for a flu shot — but that’s OK, we all are! Adults, children, pregnant women — everyone older than six months should get a flu shot, every year.
We all know the flu: the serious, contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza virus that infects nearly 20 percent of Americans every year. Do you want to be among those that don’t get the flu? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that every person over the age of six months, especially pregnant and breastfeeding women, get the influenza vaccine (“flu shot”) every year.
Why so often? Flu viruses change rapidly; meaning new strains of the virus emerge every year (1). The yearly flu shot will only protect you against three or four strains, which is why you need new shots every flu season.
This article is originally posted on Huffingtonpost.com.
