While the majority of people in good health conditions may catch the flu and experience mild symptoms, that is not the case for everyone. Many people are at risk of developing much worse symptoms from the flu or are at risk of developing associated health conditions such as pneumonia, ear infections, or worsening symptoms of pre-existing chronic conditions including asthma, or diabetes. For populations such as children, those above the age of 65, and anyone that is immunocompromised, the effects of contracting the flu can be long-lasting or even deadly. The higher amount of people (who are physically capable of getting the vaccine) who receive the vaccine come flu season, the less the flu will be able to spread to those who are unable to protect themselves and who will face much more symptoms or side effects from contracting the flu. It is vital that everyone who is able to get the vaccine does get it to help protect the health and lives of those whose immune systems are vulnerable to contagious illnesses such as the flu. Also, having the vaccine in your system will lessen your chance of contracting the virus and lessen any symptoms you experience if you still catch the flu. If the majority of people in a community receive a flu shot, that not only just reduces the number of people that need to take time off of work or reduces the chances of it spreading to the more vulnerable populations, but also ensures that fewer people need to be hospitalized, freeing up more beds and medical care to be available for all other medical conditions.