For regularly updated information on a variety of health topics, please visit familydoctor.org , the AAFP patient education Web site. About 10 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year. Some people get very sick. Each year, about 130,000 people go to a hospital with the flu, and 20,000 people die because of the flu and complications. The flu may cause fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or a stuffy nose, headache, muscle aches and tiredness.
Some people describe the flu as the worst cold of their life.
If you get the flu, you should feel better after one or two weeks. But in some people, the flu leads to serious, even life-threatening diseases, like pneumonia. Some people are more likely to get the serious complications. If you are in any of these risk groups, you should get the flu vaccine every year. And even if you're not at higher risk, you may want to get the flu vaccine so you don't get sick with the flu.