This week is National Flu Vaccination Awareness week, and the Centers for Disease Control reminds people it’s important to get flu shots well in advance of flu season. The CDC created the awareness week in 2005 because they noticed in spite of many people still needing flu shots, they tend to tail off in December. Nurse Lynn Fisher of Washington County Public Health says the peak of flu season is typically in February, and it takes two weeks for the vaccine to take hold in your system, so now is the perfect time to get a flu shot. She adds, with people getting together with family and friends over the holidays, it’s even more important to protect yourself and others from the flu.

According to Fisher, flu shots are important for several reasons. She says flu is a contagious respiratory virus that attacks your nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia or even death. You can still get the flu even after receiving the vaccine, but Fisher says it’s much more likely to get a milder case of it. Additionally, flu vaccines help protect people around you that might not be able to receive a flu shot. Newborns, those undergoing chemotherapy, or those taking immune system suppressing drugs for other diseases are more vulnerable. Depending on the year, the CDC estimates anywhere from thousands to tens of thousands of people contract influenza in the United States. Of the people who get the flu, approximately 1,000 will die from it, including 100 children. For more information about National Flu Vaccination Awareness Week, listen to the In Touch with Southeast Iowa interview with Fisher at KCIIRadio.com.