Dec 13, 2013 04:13 PM EST By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

In what is likely an effort to get anyone who has not already done so to go get their flu vaccination, the CDC has announced the immunization prevented 6.6 million illnesses last year.

According to HealthDay News, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends any person aged six months or older should get a flu vaccination. CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden said during a news briefing the immunizations even prevented people from visiting their doctor last year.

"In the 2012-2013 flu season, vaccinations prevented at least 6.6 million cases of flu-associated illness," he said at a news briefing. "They also prevented some 3.2 million [people from] seeing their doctor and 79,000 hospitalizations."

Last year's flu season was particularly harsh as well, resulting in 31.8 million influenza-associated illnesses and 14.4 million doctors visits for flu. This year, numbers are not yet available, but Frieden's comments come when flu season is still closer to its beginning than its end.

"Last year was a relatively severe season," he said. "Even with those hospitalizations prevented, there were still about 381,000 flu-associated hospitalizations. This is higher than we have seen during many flu seasons."

Also at the press conference, Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the flu does not seem to have the same early impact this year.

"Last year, flu hit early and it hit hard," she said. "This year, we are lucky because the flu season hasn't taken off wildly yet, so it's not too late for you to get vaccinated and to make sure you protect yourself and your family."

Just because this year's flu season is off to a tame start does not mean the illness cannot get out of hand. Schuchat pointed out that flu season typically peaks from Jan. to March, which will begin in a matter of weeks.

"We know that it will increase in the coming weeks and months, but we cannot predict where and when and how severe this year's flu season will be," Frieden said. "What we can predict is that the best way you can protect yourself against flu is to get a flu vaccine. It's not too late to get vaccinated."

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