BENTON HARBOR, Mich – The Berrien County Health Department and health departments across the country are gearing up for the flu season. 

“The flu is a very serious illness that can cause severe sickness and even hospitalization and we know that this happens every single year,” Berrien County Health Department Communications Manager Gillian Conrad said. 

According to health data there were over 40-million flu illnesses, upwards of 600-thousand hospitalizations and 136 deaths in children under the age of 18 during the 2018-2019 flu season. 

The Berrien County Health department are stressing the importance of the flu shot to protect against the virus. 

“The flu shot is the first and foremost defense against the flu virus and we know it is your way of protection against the virus,” Conrad said. 

Health experts say peak activity during the flu season spans from November to February. 

The Berrien County Health Department is urging people to get their flu shot before the end of October.