These Are the Most Effective Ways to Avoid Getting a Cold This Season

Most natural and behavioral strategies to prevent the flu pale in comparison to the flu vaccine, which the Center For Disease Control (CDC) recommends for all Americans 6 months of age and older. The flu vaccine dramatically decreases flu illnesses, reduces missed days at work and school, prevents flu-related hospitalizations, and even saves lives — an estimated 40,000 over the last decade, to be precise. And for anyone who is still wondering: no, the flu shot will not give you the flu.