It is important to get your flu vaccine EVERY
year, because

• Flu viruses are constantly changing, so flu vaccines may be updated from one season to the next to protect against the viruses that research suggests will be most common during the upcoming flu season.
• A person’s immune protection from the flu vaccine declines over time. Yearly vaccination is needed for the best protection.

Everyone is at risk for seasonal influenza. CDC recommends everyone six months and older get a flu vaccine.
While flu can make anyone sick, certain people are at high risk of serious flu complications:

• Pregnant women
• Children younger than 5 years, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• People 65 years of age and older
• People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions
• The full list of people who are at high risk of serious flu complications is at: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm

Flu vaccine can provide:

• Protection for yourself. (Reduce your risk of getting sick or being hospitalized.)
• Protection for children younger than 6 months who are too young to get vaccinated.
• Protection for other people at high risk of serious complications from flu.
• Protection for pregnant women and their newborns.
  What are the side

Flu shots have a good safety record and cannot give you the flu, but there may be some mild side effects. The most common side effects from flu shots are soreness, redness, and/or swelling where the shot is given.