You can bundle up as tight as you want, stay inside during the worst of what winter can throw at you, but that does not mean you are safe from one of the season’s most malicious maladies, the flu. With flu season in full swing, a vaccination is one of the best defenses against coming down with the persistent pestilence.

The best time to get vaccinated is between the middle of October and the middle of November. This will cover you through the season.

The Austin Medical Center offered vaccination at an event on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Oak Park Mall Community Room for $25. They vaccinated around 1,400 people. “We usually get a lot of Medicare patients, but we also get a lot of students,” said Peggy Drennan, a Clinic Nurse Manager at Austin Medical Center. Symptoms of the flu can include a sore throat, coughing, fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Getting a cold is not the same thing as getting the flu. You can get a flu vaccination at a number of pharmacies in the area. To schedule an appointment at Austin Medical Center, or to receive more information about the vaccination call 433-7351.