Have you gotten a flu shot this season? Or are you one of the people finding out that a lot of places don’t have the vaccine available due to high demand? Or do you believe that flu shots aren’t necessary?

According to MSN Healthy Living, this current flu season is resulting in some of the highest rates of influenza compared to the previous decade. MSN Healthy Living goes onto report that in January, the proportion of deaths related to pneumonia and influenza reached slightly above the epidemic threshold (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Using the MSN Healthy Living’s helpful chart (below), you can find out more about this year’s flu season, what, exactly, the flu is and — most important — how to hopefully avoid catching the flu. After all, what good is all of our healthy eating and exercise if we aren’t healthy in every other way, too? Let’s stay informed and stay well. (If you have any tips of your own — or if you want to weigh in on the pro flu shot vs. anti flu shot debate, please share, below, in the comments section!)