Visitors to the local Walgreens location on Floyd Baker Boulevard are reminded that it is flu season by way of an advertisement at the front of the store. The weather is turning cooler and shades of red, brown, orange and yellow will soon begin to appear on trees.

With the season comes the flu bug (seasonal influenza) which sends more than 4,000 people to South Carolina hospitals and claims approximately 700 lives nationwide each year. The ailment is a leading cause of death in people ages 65 and older.

"Anyone can get the flu, even healthy people," said Dr. Jerry Gibson, director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control's (DHEC) Bureau of Disease Control. "The elderly, very young children and people with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease are more likely to have complications from seasonal flu."

With flu season now in full swing, residents of the Palmetto State are encouraged to get their seasonal flu vaccinations, which were made available earlier this month.

"Regular seasonal flu vaccine is now available statewide," Dr. Gibson said. "The best way to protect yourself and your family is to get a seasonal flu shot. It's especially important for those with a higher risk for flu-related complications, as well as those who live with or care for people at high risk. The vaccine provides immunity not only for the person who receive it, but also for the community at large when more people are protected."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population gets the flu, usually with symptoms including fever, chills, headache, sore throat, cough and body aches.

The vaccine for seasonal influenza is now available at county health departments statewide for $25, which Medicare and Medicaid will cover for those eligible. Medicare Advantage enrollees should contact the administrator of their plans to learn whether a certain provider is able to provide the flu shot, according to a prepared statement released by DHEC.

Children and adolescents, ages 6 months through 18 years of age, are eligible for free seasonal flu vaccine through the DHEC Vaccine Assurance For All Children Immunization Partnership, which is available in many doctors' offices, community health centers and DHEC's county public health departments.

Physicians offices and pharmacies around the Palmetto State are also offering flu shots, with some witnessing an increase in the number of vaccinations this year.

One of those is Walgreens, which has administered more than a million immunizations nationwide since it began offering flu shots Sept. 1.

"Consumers are being proactive when it comes to flu prevention, and it's gratifying to know that our health care professionals are playing such an active role as a valuable resource throughout this flu season," said Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson.

Walgreens' Gaffney location administered close to 140 flu shots this month, said store manager Niki Elledge.

"We've more than doubled what we did at this point last year," Elledge said. "People are taking the flu seriously this year, and don't want to take any chances of there being no vaccine left."

Also of concern for many is the presence of swine flu in the U.S., which is now widespread in 21 states, with instances reported in all 50 states. For this reason, the CDC believes this flu season may be worse than previous years.

The first 3.4 million doses of swine flu vaccine, all of the nasal spray variety, will ship in early October. Unlike more traditional flu shots, the nasal spray version of swine flu vaccine is approved for persons between 2 and 49 years old. Pregnant women are advised to not take the vaccine.

However, the vaccine for seasonal influenza is different from that for the swine flu, a fact that has driven medical professionals like Dr. Gibson to push people to get both shots.

"It is important to remember that the seasonal vaccine will not protect against the Novel H1N1 influenza," Dr. Gibson said. "A separate vaccine will be available for the new virus later this year."