Who's Afraid Of The Big, Bad Flu Shot?

You've probably got Ebola on your mind. Maybe even respiratory virus Enterovirus -68, which is marching across the U.S, putting little kids in the hospital.

But odds are, you aren't thinking about the flu.

Yet you should. Flu season is about to begin, and this year will kill about 30,000 Americans and hospitalize or deathly sicken up to 10 times that number.

But less than 50 percent of us get a flu vaccine. Why is that? Forgetful? Fearful? Fearless?

Forgetful...that's a tough one. Put a reminder in your smartphone

Fearful? 99% of the bad things you hear about flu vaccines are myths.

Fearless? As in you've never gotten a flu shot or the flu, so why worry when you have the mistaken belief of super immunity. Wow, I don't know what to think when you are stricken by flu and crawl into the ER.

We don't know what kind of season this will be. But we usually get an idea by looking at what's going on the southern hemisphere, namely Australia, during their "winter" flu season. They are in the midst of their worst season in five years. That doesn't bode well for us.

Who should be immunized? Pretty much everyone from ages 6 months upward. There are a few exceptions (see the CDC link below).

And there are a few special features to keep in mind for this year's choices:

The CDC recommends healthy children between ages 2-8 get the nasal flu mist, not the shot.

Seniors should get a flu shot, and two (different) anti-pneumonia shots.

Seniors over age 65 should also consider the super-duper it's got more punch flu shot. It's a little stronger than the conventional flu shot since sometimes the older you get, the more of a push your immune system needs to kick out anti-flu antibodies.

Needle-phobic? There is a needle free vaccine available for you. Also, if you are between ages 2-49, the nasal spray is okay for you.

Allergic to eggs? We've got a new vaccine you can get that doesn't use eggs in its manufacturing process.

Pregnant? You should get immunized as early as possible in your pregnancy -- but you can get one at any time. Not only will it protect you but it will help your newborn after birth for at least 6 months, if not more. And the vaccine is proven safe in pregnancy.

Now you can't say vaccines are hard to find. There are flu shot clinics, your doctor's office, your jobsite, even the grocery store next to the milk aisle. No excuses as to availability.

Final numbers for last year's flu season: only 34 percent of people 18-64 were immunized. That's weak.

Only 50 percent of pregnant women were immunized.

70 percent of kids were immunized.

And 90 percent of doctors were immunized. The other 10 percent had a legitimate medical reason, or were simply knuckleheads. Yes, doctors can be knuckleheads, too.

Here is some more info: cdc.gov/flu/protect/