AUSTIN — Though the season doesn't officially start until November, doctors recommend everyone be vaccinated by Halloween.
However, this year's vaccine options are different than in the past.
“If I had chicken pox, I would be scared because my Mom had chicken pox and then she got this other sickness, the tickles? The pringles?" said seven-year-old Mark Eissler.
But when it comes to health, kids may not know it all.
"I was kind of scared because I thought it would go through my arm,” Eissler said.
Like seven-year-old Mark Eissler, who was relieved to find out his flu shot would be in his leg.
"Yeah, because I don’t really need my leg that much,” Eissler said.
This year, a needle is the only option for flu vaccinations. Earlier this summer, the Centers for Disease Control recommended children only get the flu shot, after finding last year's flu mist to be mostly ineffective. Researchers still aren't sure why the nasal spray didn't work, but doctors say there could be a number of factors.
"The stability of the vaccine, or maybe the fact that children have had so many flu mists before that it didn’t even let it work in the nose,” said Dr. Leighton Ellis, a pediatrician at St. David’s Children Hospital.
Some parents say the spray was a less-intimidating option.
"Well as a Mommy you never want to see your little one in pain, so anything we can do it avoid it is great,” said mother Kelly Reash.
In Texas, flu cases are most commonly seen in February. Doctors say there have been a few flu cases so far this year, and most of those have been the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as the swine flu. Immunity against the virus has been in the vaccine since 2009, and it's expected most people will be well-protected against it this time around.