As the summer winds down, health officials say that it is never too early to start thinking about protecting oneself from the flu.

Pharmacists in New Jersey say that state residents should get the flu vaccine sooner, rather than later.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new guidelines and recommendations on how to protect against the flu. The CDC says that the flu vaccine has been updated this year to be more effective. Last year’s flu shot was only 36 percent effective.

“People are aware that it's good to get it early. However, the public does not think that they should get it,” says Dr. Anil Datwani, of Ar-Ex Pharmacy.

Dr. Datwani says that while his Fords pharmacy has been offering flu shots for about a week, so far no one has been vaccinated.

“You have to get your flu shot early. The reason is, it takes four to six weeks to actually get into your system. So, the quicker it's in your system, the antibodies - it's going to prevent you from getting the flu,” Datwani says.

The first flu outbreaks can hit as early as October, according to the CDC. With kids going back to school soon, Dr. Datwani says that now is the time to get vaccinated.

“Anybody above the age of six months. So that's basically everyone. Everyone should be getting the flu shot,” he says.

Last year's flu season was the deadliest on record for children. Nationwide, 172 children died from flu-related illnesses. Eighty percent of those who died had not received the flu vaccination.