Federal health officials say the good news is there's plenty of vaccine left.
The peak of flu season is right around the corner and federal health officials say the good news is there's plenty of vaccine left.
But they say the flu is hitting hard in some parts of the South and will strike the Palmetto State soon.
For health officials this year, the challenge isn't a shortage of vaccine, but an abundance of complacency.
Some folks don't need convincing that getting a flu shot is the right thing to do.
"Because I don't want to get the flu. I'm getting too old to get the flu," said Marguerite Paulson of Myrtle Beach.
Myrtle Beach resident Harry Coates said, "I had a flu shot every year for the past 5 or 6 years and I've had no problems with it and why knock a good thing."
But others aren't persuaded. Turnout for some public vaccination clinics in the Myrtle Beach area has been so low this season, they were cancelled for lack of demand.
Public Health Director Dr. Covia Stanley says many people are misinformed about the shots.
"Many people still go with this myth: I got the flu shot and it made me sick. But in fact the flu shot will not make you sick because it's not a live virus," Stanley said.
Stanley said vaccinations are recommended for all adults, especially those over the age of 65, but some people who ought to know better aren't getting that message.
"For example, a lot of health care workers we find out do not get the vaccine. In the school system, principals and superintendents don't get it."
Stanley believes some people lost interest in getting a shot because last year there was such a scare over an H1N1 outbreak that turned out to be not as severe as anticipated.
It takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine to take effect in the body, so Stanley says now is the time to get a shot, before the worst of the season kicks in next month.
"The expression an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, this would be very applicable."
Besides getting a shot, Stanley says the key to staying free of the flu is to maintain good overall health. Eat right, exercise and get plenty of rest.
The U.S. this year produced more than 160 million doses of flu vaccine, a record amount.
