(PRLEAP.COM) In the past, flu shots were not advised for everyone, but reserved for those in certain age ranges and with health conditions that could be complicated by getting the flu. This year, it’s recommended that all children (including your perfectly healthy kids) 6 months to 5 years old be vaccinated. And the good news this year — there should be plenty of shots to go around. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccination each fall.

It is extremely important to be immunized against the flu. Every year in the United States, on average 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu; more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications, and about 36,000 people die from flu. The Centers for Disease Control and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices have centered themselves around a push to immunize more children against the potentially fatal disease.

ProAction Community Health has teamed up with the City, County and the El Paso’s Health District to assure everybody who wants or needs a flu shot gets one. ProAction, one of El Paso’s largest flu vaccine providers has released their schedule for the 2006-2007 flu season and are slated to begin October 2nd.

“You can get fever, headache, fatigue, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea or simply get a flu shot!” said Dusty Warden, Outreach Coordinator for ProAction. “It’s a relatively easy choice. The benefits of the flu shot are exponentially greater than the risk of not being immunized.”