In October the chances of getting the flu start to go up, but will the disease be as bad as doctors say?
Health officials say don't be so worried.
"Australia was experiencing a pretty heavy flu season, and they're ahead of us in the flu season, so there's always the potential that it could come over here," said Jackson County Health Department Public Information Officer Sarah Allison.
Scientists are trying to figure out how to best protect yourself from the flu this winter...using cases in Australia and last winter in the United States.
"It’s based off of what happens in the previous season," said Allison. "They take the strands and create the vaccine out of it."
The strains being detected this year are H1N1 (Swine Flu), H3N2, one of the more dangerous strains, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and two additional strains of the Influenza B virus.
"Those are all wrapped up in the vaccine, so when people get vaccinated, they're treated for those four strands," said Allison.
Even though last year's vaccine was only 29 percent effective, officials say it’s still the best way to prevent the disease.
"It’s a personal choice to get it or not, but to protect everybody, we encourage everyone to get it," said Allison.
And of course there are always other ways to stop the spread of the flu and other communicable diseases.
"We always encourage people to wash hands, cover their coughs into sleeves," said Allison.
Above all, it's best to get your flu shot soon. It could take up to two weeks for the vaccine to build immunity.
The CDC says more than 37 million Americans came down with the flu last year.
36 thousand of them died.
The vaccine protects you against influenza, which is a respiratory illness.
The illness commonly referred to as "stomach flu" is not influenza and is caused by a different virus.
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