The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines the flu as "a serious disease that can lead to hospitalization and sometimes even death." The flu, also known as influenza, is a particularly dangerous disease because it changes every year. The CDC recommends that anyone over the age of 6 months should receive the flu vaccine. Getting the flu vaccine is "particularly important for people who are at high risk of serious complications from influenza" (CDC). People who should not receive the flu shot include children younger than 6 months of age or people with a serious, life threatening allergic reaction to the flu vaccine (CDC). In terms of when you receive the vaccine, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated as soon as the vaccination becomes available, typically around the end of October. Receiving the flu vaccine greatly decreases a person's chance of getting the flu, especially during flu season. Recent studies show that "vaccine reduces the risk of flu illness by about 50% to 60% among the overall population during seasons when most circulating flu viruses are like the vaccine viruses" (CDC).
To read more about the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, you can visit the CDC's website here:
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/vaccineeffect.htm
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