Video: Who should get a flu shot this year?

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SEATTLE - Flu season is almost here. Last year, many people who got flu shots still got sick because the vaccine didn't match up well with the strains of flu that were going around.

Will the flu shot be more effective this year?

The Centers for Disease Control choose the strains that go into the vaccine and in the last 20 years, they have nailed them about 75 percent of the time.

Dr. Po Tu says he is optimistic about this year, but says proof won't come until winter.

CDC used to only recommend shots for children age 6 months to 5 years. This year though, CDC recommends that kids 6 months to 18 years old should all get flu shots.

"The reason for that is because we believe the biggest reservoir for influenza in the community is children," said Dr. Tu.

Children tend to pass it to each other and then on to their parents and grandparents.

"If you stop influenza in children, you may have beneficial effects in the elderly population," he said.

Each year, more than 35,000 Americans die from the flu – many of them elderly.

It is believed if all kids get vaccinated, that number could drop significantly.

People with certain allergies should not get a flu shot.