2.    Many symptoms can accompany the flu.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the flu can come with a number of symptoms. One of these is fever, though not all people who contract the flu develop a fever. The flu can cause cold-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat, and a runny or stuffed-up nose. In addition, it can cause the head, muscles and body to ache along with general fatigue. That said, some people who contract the flu do experience stomach issues like vomiting and diarrhea. However, these symptoms occur most often in children.

3.    The flu is contagious.

The flu can be spread to others easily. According to the CDC, this is thought to occur through droplets released during coughing, sneezing or talking. Gross as this sounds, it is thought that these droplets end up in the mouths or noses of others. The flu can be spread by touching things that those infected have touched. However, this is said to occur less often than through transmission by droplets.

Also of interest, the flu can be spread before you even feel sick. The CDC says that people with the flu can be infectious a day before symptoms occur and between five and seven days after they become sick. Young children and those with weakened immune systems might be infections for longer periods of time.

4.    There is a vaccine for the flu.

Chances are you’ve heard of the flu vaccine. According to the CDC, the flu vaccine protects against the most common types of flu. This is said to be three or four different virus strains. These viruses are H1N1, H3N2, and one to two influenza B viruses (depending which vaccine you get). The CDC recommends that everyone who is six months or older receive a flu vaccine yearly. This is very important for those who have a high risk of developing the flu, like those who work in healthcare and those who live with high-risk persons. It is also important that those with infants six months or younger get vaccines because these children are too young to receive vaccines.