Boo to the flu! Get your flu vaccine by Halloween.

The flu can be scary, especially for the ones we love most. Luckily, we can prevent flu illnesses and hospitalizations with flu vaccines. Everyone aged 6 months and older needs a flu vaccine to stay healthier this fall. Here is why:

The flu is dangerous. The flu is different from the everyday cold. It can last 2 weeks or more and cause serious complications such as pneumonia. Every year the flu causes millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations, and tens of thousands of deaths in the United States.
Getting your flu vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu. Getting a flu vaccine reduces your chances of getting sick with the flu. Studies show that it can also lower your chances of becoming seriously ill or hospitalized if you do get sick with flu. Although good health behaviors, including proper etiquette for coughs and sneezes can help reduce the spread of flu, experts agree a flu vaccine is the best way to prevent flu.
It saves lives and protects those on the frontlines. Getting your flu vaccine could save someone else from getting seriously ill. Babies and young children, pregnant women, people 65 and older, and those with certain medical conditions—are all at increased risk of complications from flu. Getting vaccinated reduces the spread of flu from you to them, which can protect your family, co-workers, and all those around you. This year, your flu vaccine will not only keep you and your loved ones healthier and out of the medical setting, it will preserve precious resources for those on the COVID-19 frontlines.

Both flu and COVID-19 may be spreading this fall, so it's more important than ever to get an annual flu vaccine. Flu vaccines are safe, effective, and the best way to prevent the flu. The best time to get vaccinated is before flu viruses start to spread—typically by the end of October. So, don't wait. Say boo to the flu by making sure you and your family get a flu vaccine by Halloween.