ELKHART — Starting Tuesday, local health departments and some area pharmacies will get a jump start in fighting off the flu. They're providing flu shots; not for the H1N1 flu virus, but for the seasonal flu.

Monday morning, it was a normal day of shots at the Elkhart County Health Department's children’s immunization clinic. But there was one vaccine missing from the list — a flu vaccine. That was on the mind of some parents.

“I'm here to get Addison’s year vaccines, and also even to find out about the flu — I’m concerned about her getting vaccinated for the flu here coming up,” said Shauna Beatty of Elkhart.

Young children cannot be vaccinated until they reach the age of six months. It is especially important for households with infants that all older family members be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the flu to the young ones.

On Tuesday, the health department is hosting an all-day flu shot clinic for adults.

“Lots of adults do not get the flu vaccine. What they don't realize is that not everyone who gets the flu, and can give it to others, has symptoms,” said Carolyn Davis of the Elkhart County Health Department. “And what they fail to realize is that every year in the United States, there are 36,000 people [who] die of complications of the flu and significant numbers are hospitalized because of complications.”

For Shauna Beatty, flu shots are a top priority.

“Yeah I definitely don't want her to have the flu,” she said, “so getting a vaccination is a very high priority for me.”

You can also get your flu shot at a branch of an area pharmacy around the Michiana area

Walgreen’s announced, starting Tuesday, it will be offering seasonal flu shots at 7,000 stores around the country, including its in-store Take Care Clinics. Nurse practitioners and licensed doctor assistants will be providing the shots.

You can get the traditional shot or get the vaccine through a nasal spray. The shots will be covered by insurance plans as well as Medicare Part B.

The shots are being provided several weeks earlier than normal because of a heightened national awareness surrounding this year's flu season.