Get a Flu Shot to Fight Against Flu!
Fall is here! I think fall is the most beautiful season. In fall, the leaves on the trees change their colors. The weather is so nice and the sky is bluer. But the best part is there are so many delicious foods to eat! Yum~ Well, the sad part is winter is coming soon. We can have a lot of fun in winter, too. But for many children, winter means getting a cold or the flu! Ahchoo! Luckily, you can protect yourself from the cold. Want to know the little secret? Then, keep reading!

What Is the Flu?
It's chilly in the morning and the evening these days. So you should be careful not to catch a cold or the flu. But what is the flu? The flu is also called influenza. Influenza is a virus. It causes a fever and body aches. It is like a very bad cold. If you have the flu, you will sleep a lot and feel sick. But don't worry. You will get better in 1 or 2 weeks.

How Can You Protect Yourself from the Flu?
If you get a flu shot, you can fight against the flu! The flu shot helps your body get ready to protect itself against that virus in case it tries to enter your body. The flu shot has a small amount of dead flu viruses in it. The flu shot won't give you the flu. But those dead viruses are enough to get your body's immune system ready to fight off the real flu when it comes around this winter.

When Do You Get a Flu Shot?
It's best to get a flu vaccine in the fall before flu season. Flu season starts in November and usually ends in April. December, January and February are the worst months for flu. To be protected against the flu, you have to get a flu shot every year. This is because the flu virus keeps changing. Each year, doctors and scientists who study the flu try to predict which virus will make people sick during the next flu season. Then they make the vaccine out of a mixture of the three most likely viruses.

Is the Flu Shot Safe?
The flu shot is very safe. Most people have no problems with it. But the spot where you got the shot might feel sore. After the flu shot, some people might feel achy or have a mild fever. But that's nothing like the flu. So you don't have to worry about that. If you want to stay healthy during the flu season, wash your hands regularly. When you do, you wash away those nasty germs that want to make you sick!