By December, many people feel like it’s too late to get their flu shot. Flu season has started, and if they didn’t get their flu shot in the fall, they’re certainly not going to find time for it during the busy holiday season. But the truth is, as long as people are still getting sick with the flu, people should still be getting the flu shot. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, it’s not too late! Here’s why:

You can still get the flu.

Flu season typically occurs between October and March each year. It unofficially begins when influenza activity begins to increase during the colder months, and tends to peak sometime between December and February, depending on the year. If you haven’t gotten your flu shot yet, your likelihood of catching the flu this year increases the closer you get to the peak of flu season. Remember, while people are still getting sick with the flu, so can you. December is certainly not too late to get your flu shot, but the sooner you get it, the better.

You can still protect yourself from getting the flu.

Even though flu season has already started, you can still protect yourself against the flu. It takes about two weeks from the time you get your flu shot to be fully protected against that year’s strains of the flu, so consider this timeline if you haven’t yet gotten your flu shot. If you are travelling for the holidays, consider getting your flu shot as soon as possible, as you’ll soon be exposed to lots of new germs while visiting with family and friends. Even if you aren’t going anywhere, the flu can still come to you! Just because the flu virus isn’t circulating your community yet doesn’t mean it won’t be soon, which is why you should protect yourself ahead of time by getting a flu shot.

You can still protect others from getting the flu.

When you get a flu shot, you are taking an important step towards protecting yourself from the flu. But did you know getting the flu shot protects the people around you as well? When you are protected from the flu, that means you can’t catch it and pass it on to others, and for those susceptible to serious complications from the flu, this can even mean the difference between life and death. Children, the elderly, pregnant women and those with chronic diseases rely on others around them to help them stay protected from the flu, which can be a much more serious illness to these vulnerable populations. The sooner you get your flu shot, the sooner you and others around you will be protected from the flu.

Get your flu shot at AFC Urgent Care today! It only takes a few minutes, no appointment necessary, and you can feel protected from the flu all season long. Click here to find an AFC Urgent Care location near you.