Spencer Hales, CFNN Reporter

With flu season just beginning to start this October, the question for many is, “Should I get my flu shot?”

With COVID-19 still a pressing issue, we have gotten better at protecting ourselves from illness. We have done this by wearing masks, social distancing, and even quarantining. But how will COVID-19 affect this flu season?

This flu season is predicted not to be as bad as past years, due to all of the safety measures many have enacted to prevent COVID. Since students are not currently physically present at school, which was a big way the flu spread through kids, The risk of infection has decreased significantly.

That being said, it is still highly recommended that you still get your flu shot this season! It always helps to stop and lower the number of flu cases. Even though this flu season might not milder than previous years, it will never hurt to get your shot. Well, not much, at least.

Even with experts advising for the shot, many people still refuse get their flu shot. Most people think, “Why get it if I can still get the flu?” While it’s true that you can still get the flu after you get the vaccination, it is still a great defense against the flu virus. It is extremely important in keeping the flu from spreading.

Last year, only 37% of adults got their flu shot. Basically every health expert will tell you that getting the flu shot is a lot better than actually getting the flu. They say this because 80,000 people died from the flu last year, and more than 900,000 were hospitalized.

A big misconception with the flu is that the shot will give you the virus. While it is true that the vaccine has the virus in it, it is inactive and doesn’t actually give you the flu. It helps build up your immune system to fight against it.

Even though this flu season might not be bad, it never hurts to stay on the safe side and get your flu shot!