When is the best time to get your flu shot?

When most of us get the flu, we spend three or four days on the couch feeling miserable, then we bounce back pretty quickly.

But others have more severe symptoms and need to be hospitalised because they're at risk of life-threatening complications. Some people even die from the flu.

The size and impact of influenza seasons varies from year to year. In 2017, Australia had its worst flu season for 20 years, with at least 1,255 lives lost.