Updated October 2, 2018

There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the flu shot.

But following a winter in which more than 80,000 people died from flu-related illnesses in the U.S. — the highest death toll in more than 40 years — infectious disease experts are ramping up efforts to get the word out.

The U.S. vaccination rate hovers at about 47 percent a year. This is far below the 70 percent target. And college students are among the least vaccinated.

The CDC estimates that flu vaccination reduces the risk of the virus by about 40 to 60 percent. It's still a common misperception that you can get the flu from the flu shot. "That's, of course, incorrect," says William Schaffner medical director at the NFID.

He has this advice: Don't wait. "The time to get vaccinated is right now".