KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's that time of year again. Doctors are advising patients it's time to get the annual flue shot.
"I usually do get my flu shot," Tyler Heying of Kansas City said.
"I don't regularly get my flu shot unless I have to for a job or something," Michael Hornsby of Kansas City said.
According to the Center of Disease Control, it's going to be another miserable and unpredictable flu season.
"A lot of people who are being diagnosed with influenza, lots of hospitalization and lots of deaths," Dr. Dana Hawkins at the University of Kansas Health System said.
In the 2017-2018 flu season, nearly half of adults and 63 percent of kids got vaccinated. But, the CDC said nearly 80,000 Americans died and almost a million were hospitalized from the flu and complications from it.
Some people told 41 Action News they get their flu shot to ensure the virus doesn't spread to others.
“Because I work in a school. I am around a lot of kids," Heying said. "The more people get flu shots, the less it's spread around."
The CDC said specialists created a stronger vaccine to battle this season's strain. What you may not know is now is the time to get the influenza vaccine.
"Your immunity really isn't in place until two weeks after you get the vaccine. It allows your body to make the antibodies needed to give you the immunity should you come into contact with influenza," Hawkins said.
He said no matter what, choose to get the shot soon because pharmacies could temporarily run out.
