Flu: ‘Don’t Let Last Year Fool You’

As the flu season kicks off today, health officials are urging everyone older than 6 months old to be vaccinated.

"People cannot become complacent this year," said Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at a news conference in Washington, D.C., last week. "When it comes to flu, we can't look to the past to predict the future."

In a typical flu season, 5 percent to 20 percent of the population fall ill. The very young, elderly, pregnant women and those with previous medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to potentially deadly complications.

Last year set a record for the lowest and shortest peak of influenza illness, with only 34 child deaths nationwide linked to the flu.

That was last year. This is this year.

The one thing flu experts know about the flu is they can't tell from one season to the next how it will behave. Many locations thru out Sioux Falls are offering flu shots right now. Check for a location near you.