Overview

Each year, up to 20% of the U.S. population gets the flu – that’s as many as 1 in 5 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And over 200,000 people go to the hospital each year for flu-related complications. Flu spreads easily through tiny droplets in the air when someone coughs, sneezes or talks. 

Getting a flu shot is your best protection. Each flu season, vaccination against the flu prevents*:

• Nearly 10 million flu illnesses
• 4.8 million medical visits
• Over 120,000 flu-related hospitalizations
• 7,900 deaths related to flu

Talk with your health care team about getting vaccinated – especially if you have heart disease or another health condition. Just like eating heart-healthy foods, being physically active and keeping up with routine health visits can help protect your heart health, so can rolling up your sleeve and getting a flu shot each year.