We probably all know what the flu is. It’s the disease where you get the shot around fall. You know, the shot that hurt so much that you cried so much when you were little. This year’s flu season might be dangerous. Why? Because this year, there is a deadly disease called Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Want to know more? Then read on for more information.

This annual disease happens around every fall or winter. People get the flu vaccine so that they won’t get the virus, but not all people. This year, the CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says, “ It’s likely that flu viruses and the virus that causes COVID-19 will both be spreading this fall and winter, making it more important than ever that ALL healthcare workers get a flu vaccine!” It may say “…ALL healthcare workers…” but we must get the shot, or else we might get even sicker in the future! If you get sick with the flu, you might get a heart failure in the future. The CDC made a study that looked at more than 80,000 U.S. adults over the, “eight flu seasons (2010-11 through 2017-18) found that sudden, serious heart complications were common and occurred in one out of every eight patients.” Nobody wants their hearts to be damaged.

If you want to know the symptoms of influenza to see if you or anybody else has them, here they are: fever or feeling feverish/chills, coughing, having a sore throat, having a runny or stuffy nose, your muscle or body aches, having headaches, having fatigue (tiredness), and some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults. It’s important to know that not everyone that may have the flu will get a fever. Don’t think it is the sickness, the cold. CDC says that the difference between a cold and the fly is, “…colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.” The flu does result in those serious health problems. Also, if you confuse influenza with the Coronavirus, the CDC says that “Diagnostic testing can help determine if you are sick with the flu or COVID-19.”

If you want the vaccine and tell your parents, the CDC recommends that 6 months-8 years get 2 shots, and everyone above should get only one. If you have Guillain-Barre syndrome or has had an allergic reaction from the previous shot, or have severe, life-threatening allergies, you should tell your vaccine provider before you get that shot. If you are having a severe illness at that time, wait until you recover from that illness, then get you shot. Also, if you are a person that is having a minor sickness, like a cold, on that same day you’re getting a vaccine, you still can get the shot. If you want to learn more about the flu vaccine and the flu go to https://www.c .dc.gov/ and type in “Flu” or “Flu Vaccine”. Take your chances of getting the shot and not be infected by the flu. Or else it’ll be too late and you already have influenza.