Oct. 1 marked the beginning of flu season, and the Indiana State Department of Health is trying to keep Hoosiers healthy.
State Health Commissioner Gregory Larkin, respiratory epidemiologist Shawn Richards and director of the Immunization Program Wayne Fischer held a phone conference Wednesday on the importance of flu shots.
This year's flu vaccination will protect against H3N2 virus, influenza B and last year's hyped H1N1. While the H1N1 virus is still circulating, it is not considered a pandemic anymore, Richards said.
Every year, more than 36,000 Americans die from influenza-related complications, according to the Indiana State Department of Health. But only 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the seasonal flu shot ever year, Richards said.
Fischer said this year Hoosiers should have no problem getting vaccinated.
"We do expect an ample supply of seasonal flu vaccines this year," he said.
Tobacco tax money is helping pay for the vaccines, and the U.S. is expected to have hundreds of millions of doses, Fischer said.
Richards said college students are encouraged to get vaccinated even though they're not considered high risk.
"Most definitely people in university settings need to be cautious," she said. "They are in close contact with one another and are often in contact with foreign students who could bring on new flu strains, so it's definitely a group we wouldn't want to neglect."
For more information on vaccinations, go to cdc.gov.
Jack Meyer contributed to this report.
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