Falling leaves, pumpkin carving, and trick-or-treating are a few wonders of the autumn season, but this time also marks the explosion of fearful foes. These adversaries aren’t the ghosts and goblins of Halloween lore. They are much smaller, more deadly, and very real: the influenza virus, or flu for short.

Fortunately, the flu vaccine is proven to reduce the risk of serious illness — but with heightened misinformation surrounding vaccines, it can be hard to understand their importance.

Here are a few reminders of what the flu is and why skipping vaccination is a gamble, even for younger individuals.

The flu is caused by the influenza virus, which hijacks your cells to replicate, resulting in symptoms including fever, sore throat, and cough. Last flu season, the Centers for Disease Contr

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