It’s flu season, and a local doctor wants you to be prepared and take it seriously.

In October, state health officials confirmed Connecticut’s first flu-related death — an adult in their 80s in Hartford County.

Doctors stress the importance of anyone over 6 months old getting a flu shot, and now is the time because health experts say this year’s flu strain is more transmissible.

St. Vincent’s Medical Center infectious disease specialist Dr. Jo-Anne Passalacqua says flu symptoms include sinus congestion, sore throat and fever. As the flu worsens, she says it can lead to pneumonia and difficulty breathing.

Passalacqua says her office is ahead on vaccinations — patients are coming in three weeks early. Normally, she runs low by the first week of December.

The state is reporting more than 230 cases of flu so far this season. There’s no CDC data due to the government shutdown, so there’s a lack of information experts depend on. She says doctors are already noticing this could be a more severe flu season based on what is being seen in Canada, the U.K. and Japan.

“Our flu vaccines are made usually in the early summer based on what’s present in the Southern Hemisphere, and the vaccine that was formulated is slightly different from the strain that is circulating in these three countries, and that has led to increased flu rates,” Passalacqua said.

You can get your flu shot from your health care provider or local pharmacy. Passalacqua says flu rates are rising, but COVID is still the predominant virus. There’s also RSV.

Doctors recommend the same routine to reduce spreading these viruses and getting sick — mask up, wash your hands and stay home if you don’t feel well.