Coughing, headaches, stuffy nose, fever, fatigue and body aches are eminent symptoms of the flu. With work, school, children and other responsibilities people do not have time to be bogged down with such symptoms. The best way to steer clear of this fate is to choose to get the flu vaccination, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

There are a number of places to receive the flu shot. Linda Wells-Freiberger, assistant clinical professor of nursing, said people can get flu vaccines at their health care provider’s office, clinics, health departments, work-places and pharmacies.

Ray Klein, director of human resources, said he has arranged for a clinic for IU Southeast staff and faculty to receive their flu shots, so the staff is able to stay healthier and focus on service to students. The staff and faculty clinic will be available Friday, Oct. 24 from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m..

Prices range from approximately $15- $40 for the vaccine. Some insurances may pay for the flu shot as a preventative measure according to flu.gov.

Wells-Freiberger said it is not possible to get the flu from the vaccine. She said people do not need to fear about becoming ill when making the decision to get the vaccine or not.

“The vaccines are made with viruses that are killed, inactivated or recombinant, which do not contain the virus particles,” Wells-Freiberger said.

Everyone six months and older should be vaccinated annually due to the decline in the body’s immune response from the previous year’s vaccination, according to the CDC. It takes two weeks for the body’s immune system to be ready to fight the infection, so it is better to be vaccinated early in the fall.

“The vaccines work by imitating infection,” Wells-Frieberger said. “Our bodies respond by developing immunity to strains of viruses in the vaccine.”

Flu shots save lives, protect against serious disease, protect against flu complications, and protect others by not spreading the flu. Being vaccinated can also prevent complications such as pneumonia, dehydration and/or worsening of chronic diseases, Frieberger said.

To further help fight off the flu, Wells-Frieberger said there are other things that can be done.

“We can protect ourselves with health lifestyle habits,” Wells-Frieberger said. “For example, eating a healthy diet, moderate exercise most days of the week, get adequate sleep, cover your mouth and nose with your arm when coughing or sneezing, wash your hands when indicated and drink plenty of water.”

Visit http://www.vaccines.gov/getting/where/index.html to find the closet location offering the flu shot.