This holiday season, spread cheer, not the flu!

The holiday season is here. That means more time to spend with your children, family, and friends. However, as holiday cheer spreads, so can the flu, with potentially serious complications. Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to stay protected against the flu.

Help kids fight the flu.

The flu is more dangerous for children than the common cold. Each year, millions of children get sick with the seasonal flu, thousands of children are hospitalized, and some even die. The good news is a flu vaccine can help protect your children against the flu.

Children younger than five years old – especially those younger than 2 – and children of any age with certain chronic health conditions, like asthma and diabetes, are at higher risk of developing serious flu complications. Because these children are at higher risk, they must get a seasonal flu vaccine to help prevent the flu and to reduce their risk of being hospitalized or dying from the flu if they get sick.

Parents can help children fight the flu with flu vaccines for the whole family each year.

Protect all your loved ones.

Getting vaccinated against the flu also protects your other loved ones, like adults 65 years and older and people with certain chronic conditions who are at increased risk of suffering from serious flu complications. These groups also face a higher risk of hospitalization if they get sick with the flu.

A flu vaccine can protect everyone as communities gather to celebrate the holiday season.

Flu vaccines are safe and effective – and there’s still time to get vaccinated.

Every year, flu vaccines are updated to better match the four flu viruses that research indicates will circulate during the season.

While it is ideal for getting a flu vaccine before the flu starts spreading in your community (usually in October each year), getting vaccinated later is beneficial anytime flu viruses are circulating. Getting vaccinated now can still protect against the flu because flu activity is still elevated, and activity most commonly peaks in February, and significant flu activity can continue into May.

Call your primary care provider to get your flu vaccine, encourage your loved ones to get it, and learn more about the benefits of getting vaccinated against the flu.

Source: CDC