Influenza is a lot more than a bad cold.
It is a distinct illness caused by a virus and is very contagious. The influenza virus spreads through the air from a cough or a sneeze and you simply breathe it in. The person you catch it from may even seem well at the time. And you can pass it on before you realise you have influenza. So to protect yourself and others, be immunised every year well before the influenza season starts.