Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is reminding Tennesseans - especially the elderly - that it's time to get that annual flu vaccination.

Last week, the governor received his own flu shot from the state's Commissioner of Health Susan Cooper, a registered nurse.

"I get a flu shot every year, and I hope this serves as encouragement for others to get their annual flu vaccine as well," Bredesen said in a media release from the Tennessee Department of Health.

"This vaccination, which is easy, simple and virtually painless, protects me from the flu, and it provides protection to my family members, friends and co-workers," the governor added.

Each year, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. are hospitalized with flu complications and about 36,000 people die because of the flu, the release says.

About 700 flu-related deaths occur in Tennessee each year, the release says.

"Covering your cough and sneeze with a sleeve or tissue, washing your hands on a regular basis and getting the flu vaccine offer the best protection from seasonal flu and cold symptoms, Commissioner Cooper said in the release.

"October or November is the best time to get the flu vaccine to be protected throughout the entire flu season," she added.

Most people who get the flu are typically sick for about a week but then recover.

But, for some people, especially the elderly, the flu can be a very serious illness.

Older adults are especially at risk of developing a secondary infection, such as pneumonia, with the flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

"The flu can have a devastating effect in the fragile populations like the very young and the elderly," said Dr. Kelly Moore, the state immunization director. "This is why it is particularly important that these individuals as well as those who care for them get a flu vaccine."

The CDC strongly recommends that anyone age 50 and older receive a flu shot each year. Anyone who lives with or takes care of a person age 50 or older is also advised to get a flu shot as well, the CDC says.

The CDC also recommends that children age 6 months to 18 years of age receive a flu shot as well as pregnant women and persons with a chronic medical condition.

Medicare covers the cost of a flu shot. Many private health insurance plans also pay for an annual flu vaccination.

"Although no flu vaccine can guarantee perfect protection, vaccination is the best protection available, and it is proven to lessen the severity of flu symptoms," the state health department's news release says.

Health experts generally recommend that persons receive a flu shot each fall. This ensures that the vaccine remains effective through the remainder of the flu season, which can last through April.