Getting a vaccination early in the flu season can help protect the community against the potentially dangerous effects of the flu.

Roughly 5 percent to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 200,000 are hospitalized annually due to flu-related complications.

Two types of vaccine are available to fight the flu, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Flu shots use inactivated vaccine containing killed virus that is given with a needle. The flu shot is approved for use in people older than 6 months, including healthy people and patients who suffer from chronic medical conditions.

A nasal spray flu vaccine is also available. This vaccine is made with weakened, live flu viruses that do not cause illness, and is approved for use in healthy people as young as 5, as well as for adults up to age 49 who are not pregnant.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.