Protect yourself against the flu: Get vaccinated!

What’s the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones against the flu? Get a flu vaccine every flu season.

What’s the flu?

Influenza (flu) is a contagious respiratory disease that can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, or even death. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone ages six months and older get an annual flu vaccine.

Why should I get a flu vaccine?

• Flu vaccination prevents illnesses, medical visits, hospitalization and death. It’s also an important preventative tool for people living with chronic health conditions.
• Vaccinating those who are pregnant helps to protect them, and has also been shown to help protect the baby from the flu for several months after birth.
• You can still get the flu if you’ve been vaccinated but if you do, it’s likely that your illness will be less severe.

Do I have to get a flu vaccine every year?

It’s important that you get vaccinated against the flu each year. Flu viruses are constantly changing, so flu vaccines are updated each year to protect you against the virus that is currently circulating.

Your protection from a flu vaccine also declines over time, so get vaccinated each year for the best protection.

Is it safe?

Yes! Flu vaccines have a good safety record. The CDC works with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other partners to ensure the highest safety standards for flu vaccines. Hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received flu vaccines over the past 50 years, and research supports the safety of seasonal flu vaccines.

Learn more about flu vaccine safety here.