NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – They’re signs of the season: holiday decorations, Christmas music on the radio, and flu shots.

Flu season starts in October and lasts all the way until May. Starting Wednesday, Nov. 1, Metro Public Health is offering free flu shots.

Sneezing, coughing, and feeling downright bad are all symptoms of the flu, but doctors said getting over it can go a lot easier with a flu shot.

“We’re expecting an average flu season this year,” Dr. Gill Wright III said.

All day Wednesday, Metro Health sponsored a drive-thru clinic to help people six months or older get a free flu shot. Wright explained how the benefits of getting a flu shot will only help you get through flu season, helping your body withstand the illness that can potentially be deadly.

“We do have to remember that about two out of every 2,000 people die, so we do have to remember that it is not a benign disease,” Wright said.

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, an estimated 20,000 children under the age of five are hospitalized due to flu complications each year.

Unvaccinated kids make up the most deaths in children who have no underlying illnesses.

Health experts encourage parents to tell your children to always wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes, and stay home when sick.

With Thanksgiving getting closer and closer, Metro Health said now is the time to get your flu shot so you are ready for the holiday season.