After November when you see signs that advertise: “Get Your Flu Vaccine Here,” you might think, “Isn’t it too late for that?”

The answer is no, it’s not too late.

“Flu season typically peaks in February and can last as late as May,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Assistant Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service and Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. “We are encouraging people who have not yet been vaccinated this season to get vaccinated now.”

For millions of people every season, the flu can mean a fever, muscle aches, fatigue, perhaps cough and sore throat and miserable days spent in bed.

However, you may not realize that more than 200,000 people are hospitalized in the United States from flu complications each year.

The flu also can be deadly. Over a period of 30 years, between 1976 and 2006, estimates of yearly flu-associated deaths in the United States range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people during the most severe season.

This is why CDC recommends an annual flu vaccine for everyone six months and older. It’s available as a shot and as a nasal spray.

There are many flu shot options available this year, including shots that protects against four flu viruses, an egg-free shot (for adults 18 through 49 years of age), and a high-dose flu shot (for people 65 and older).

The nasal spray vaccine, which protects against four flu viruses, is approved only for use in healthy people ages two to 49 years who aren’t pregnant. CDC has not expressed any preference for one type of vaccine over another.

Talk to your health care provider about the different vaccine options if you have questions.

Anyone can get the flu, but some people are at greater risk for serious flu-related complications, like pneumonia, that can lead to hospitalization and even death.

For those at greater risk for complications, getting the flu vaccine is especially important. People at greater risk include, but are not limited to:

• Children younger than five years old, and especially children younger than two years old

• Pregnant women

• People 65 years and older

• People with certain medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart and lung disease

It’s also important to get the vaccine if you care for anyone at high risk, including babies younger than six months because they are too young to get the vaccine.

Children six months through eight years of age who are getting vaccinated for the first time need two doses of flu vaccine to be fully protected.

Flu vaccines are offered in many locations, including doctor’s offices, clinics, health departments, pharmacies and college health centers. So next time you see a sign that says, “Get Your Flu Vaccine Here,” stop in and get your flu vaccine. Or make an appointment with your doctor or clinic today.