It’s time to stock up on Kleenex and Tylenol — flu season has arrived.

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the Flathead City-County Health Department confirmed the county’s first case of influenza for the season. The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by a virus, meaning it cannot be treated with antibiotics. Primary symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and fatigue. The flu typically runs its course within one to two weeks, but is highly contagious. The virus spreads by droplets which can be expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes or even speaks.

Adults with the flu may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and five to seven days after becoming sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In Montana, flu season traditionally peaks in January and continues through May, according to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.

While most recover from the flu, the illness is responsible for an estimated 36,000 deaths nationwide each year. Young children, people 65 and over and those with existing respiratory conditions are at the highest risk of contracting the flu.

Last fall and winter, DPHHS found that instances of influenza increased in mid-December and peaked between Jan. 21 and Feb. 4. For the season, the department recorded 7,935 cases in Montana, resulting in 829 hospitalizations and 56 deaths. In Flathead County, 1,044 cases of the flu were reported — the most of any county in the state.

Both the CDC and DPHHS recommend that everyone 6 months and older obtain a flu shot every season. After the vaccine is administered, it can take up to two weeks for antibodies to develop to protect against the flu. Seasonal influenza vaccines are designed to protect against the three or four strains that research indicates will be most common in a given year, according to the CDC. The effectiveness of the vaccine can vary and largely depends on two factors: the characteristics of the person being vaccinated and how similar the vaccine is to the flu virus. The closer the match, the more effective the vaccine is.

Other means of preventing the flu include staying away from people who are sick, frequent hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes.

The Flathead City-County Health Department is offering a flu shot clinic, scheduled for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 3, inside the Expo building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds. A drive-up vaccine service will be available to accommodate those with special needs or who are unable to get our of their vehicles.

The cost for the flu shot without insurance is $30, although most insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare will be accepted. Children will not be refused a vaccination for inability to pay.