Flu shots for kids, how about yourself? H3N2 flu symptoms

As parents, we make sure our kids get their flu shot this time of year. But sometimes, we forget to get it for ourselves.

Doctors say that's a big mistake. It could end up hurting everyone in the family. 

Dr. Hunter Spotts with Patient First says, “the flu can make you feel really sick. You can get severe fever, body aches, a cough, congestion, sore throat and it can really put you down for days to up to a couple weeks." 

And that could keep you home from work. Or make it tough to take care of the kids. 

Dr. Spotts says the flu can be even more dangerous for certain people in the family.

"The people who are most prone to complications are people who have other medical conditions particularly asthma or chronic lung disease or heart disease, diabetes, also the very young and the very old."  

And that could lead to some serious complications. Dr. Spotts says, "You're much more prone to sinus infections, ear infections, and pneumonia, pneumonia can be very serious and even fatal."   

The flu virus is highly contagious, it doesn't take much for it to spread.

“Generally it's transmitted through droplets from your nasal secretions and the saliva in your mouth, you can transmit it by coughing, sneezing, talking to somebody as close as 6 feet away can then get those little droplets inside their nose and throat and catch the virus," says Dr. Spotts.

If you haven't gotten your shot yet, there's still time.

“It's not too late to get the flu shot, even if it's January or February and you haven't gotten the shot you should really go ahead and get it."