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For this upcoming flu season, drug-manufacturing companies have developed new vaccines that would hopefully increase the vaccination rates within the United States. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the flu season of 2011 to 2012, only 42 percent of people got vaccinated. The flu is estimated to infect around 20 percent of the population every year. Since the flu can result in hospitalizations and death, it is important to remember to get vaccinated. The new vaccinations should ideally improve the rates for all groups of people.

"Ideally we'd like to be able to say to people, 'Get vaccinated a couple of weeks before the flu virus starts circulating in your community.' But we never know when that's going to happen," said Lisa Grohskopf, a medical officer at the National Center for Immunizations and Respiratory Diseases, part of the federal CDC.

For this season, people will now have many more options than ever before. For people who are severely allergic to eggs, there will be a vaccine option that does not include eggs. For people who are afraid of large needles, the option to choose a micro-needle, which was introduced during last flu season, will be available again. The micro-needle only gives the skin a small prick. For seniors over the age of 65, there will be a vaccine that boosts the body's immune response while protecting against the flu as well. This year, there will about be a nasal spray option.

On top of these new modes of vaccinations, some of the vaccines will contain a quadrivalent strain. Old vaccines protected against three strains, which included two varieties of type A viruses and only one variety of the type B virus. Now, some of the vaccines will include one more variety of the type B virus. Since the quadrivalent strain is new, vaccines that require needle injections will be limited. However, all nasal sprays will have all four varieties. Nasal sprays will be made with a live but weakened version of the virus and thus, only healthy people between the ages of two and 49 would qualify for this type of vaccine. Pregnant women cannot get the nasal spray.

"It's [quadrivalent strain] new for everybody this year so there's not going to be enough supply for everyone," said Donna Cary, a spokeswoman for Sanofi Pasteur according to The Wall Street Journal.

As the flu season is about to start, people must remember to get vaccinated.