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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released its annual influenza vaccination recommendations. The message for workplaces and employees is simple: Get a flu shot.

In fact, the CDC reports that — while it's not unusual — it ” has received reports of a small number of localized influenza outbreaks.”

And yet, even with the annual outbreaks and significant economic costs affiliated with influenza, CDC Director Tom Frieden indicates that the disease still “might not be taken seriously enough.”

As he told the Washington Post: “It's the Rodney Dangerfield of diseases. It gets no respect.”

For employers who are considering when to implement flu shots at the workplace, the Washington Post story offers some potential help: “Influenza activity often begins to increase in October and November. Most of the time flu activity peaks between December and March and can last as late as May. For the best protection, scientists say it's optimal to get your flu shot before there's a lot of flu in your community because it takes about two weeks for full protection to kick in.”

“Some recent studies have raised the possibility that getting vaccinated too early in the season, especially for the elderly, might result in less protection later in the season. Data from Canada also suggest that getting flu shots every year can gradually reduce the effectiveness of the vaccines under some circumstances.”

NPR reports on part of the reason it's important to discuss flu vaccines: “The CDC and other infectious disease specialists are concerned by a recent drop in seasonal flu vaccination. About 45 percent of the U.S. population got vaccinated against the virus last year, which was down 1.5 percentage points from the previous year.”