NEGAUNEE -- With a small pinch and minimal pain, you can protect yourself from getting Influenza, otherwise known as the flu.

Don Klarkson says it's better to take the shot than it is to run risk.

"You don't know what strands of the flu may be spreading. Your immune system may not be able to fight off the flu if you aren't vaccinated, so you need to take precautions of having the shot," said Klarkson.

Officials say the flu is a respiratory illness that, if not treated, can lead to death. It usually comes suddenly, with symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, and headaches.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year 20 percent of people in the U.S. get the flu, and more than 200,000 are hospitalized because of it.

So what does the vaccine do? Corrine Brownell with the Marquette County Health Department says it builds your immune system.

"It can help your own system develop antibodies to fight the virus, so it's a very small amount, then your body produces more antibodies. So when you are exposed to the virus, you have the immune system that fights it off," said Brownell.

She also says the more people get it, the less likely it is to spread.　

Experts say this season is looking like last year--mild, but even so, everyone six months and older should get vaccinated.

Officials add that the sooner you get vaccinated, the better. For information on the next flu shot drive, click here.