Flu season is in full swing, and wis expected to peak in the coming weeks.

According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, flu season peaks in January, and lasts until March.

So far this year, there has been one pediatric flu related death in Mississippi and across the country there have been more than five. Last flu season, there were three reported influenza deaths in children in the state, and 183 across the country, according to MSDH.

“Nationally, about 80 percent of the pediatric deaths were in children who were not vaccinated against the flu,” said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, MSDH Interim State Health Officer, in a press release.

To protect from the flu, MSDH recommends that every Mississippi resident older than six months receive a flu vaccination. People younger than 18 can receive a vaccination through the department’s Vaccines for Children program at a county health clinic for $10. Pearl River County’s clinic is located at 7457 Highway 11 North in Carriere.

County clinics can also provide flu vaccines to high risk adults without health insurance or who are underinsured. Vaccines against the flu can also be found at a number of pharmacies.

Flu vaccines typically take about two weeks before they are most effective. They not only protect people from suffering from the ill effects of influenza, but also prevent the spread of the virus, according to MSDH.

If a person does get the flu, they can see a doctor to determine if they can receive antiviral medication, which can reduce the duration of a flu and make the symptoms milder.