SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) — Memorial Health is encouraging people to get their annual flu vaccine as influenza cases begin appearing in Central Illinois.

Dr. Anna Richie, clinical director of Memorial Urgent Care, said Memorial Health is currently seeing about a dozen cases of influenza each week, although flu activity has not yet reached high levels in the area.

“We are seeing about a dozen cases of influenza a week for the last like six weeks,” Richie said.

Richie said many of the people who have tested positive recently have traveled to areas where influenza is more prevalent.

“A lot of them have traveled, so cruise ships, went to Alaska, went to Florida, there’s usually a story behind it,” she said.

Richie said Memorial Health is seeing higher numbers of rhinovirus and enterovirus, which can cause respiratory illnesses, but influenza has not yet begun to spike locally.

She also addressed a common misconception about the flu vaccine: that getting vaccinated can give someone the flu.

“That is a myth, that’s not true,” Richie said. “The shot is inactivated, it’s not live, so you get an immune response, you might feel a little achy, but you’re actually not getting the flu.”

Richie said the vaccine can also help reduce the severity of illness if someone does become infected.

“We do know that the flu vaccine decreases the severity,” she said. “It decreases your hospitalizations, it decreases deaths, and it also helps with community immunity.”

Richie said the flu vaccine is updated each year to account for different influenza strains. She said protection lasts about six months and recommended people get vaccinated before Thanksgiving, when many people begin spending more time indoors with family and other groups.

“It does take two weeks to work,” Richie said. “So really getting it now is fine, again it lasts for six months, but really try to get it at least two weeks before kind of the Thanksgiving time.”

Richie also said people should understand the difference between influenza and what is commonly called the stomach flu.

Memorial Health offers flu vaccinations at its drive-through location on South Sixth Street from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The health system also has special Saturday flu clinics, including one on Halloween.

Richie said getting vaccinated can help protect both the individual and those around them.

“One shot really will protect you and others,” she said.