Thanksgiving is a week away.It is a time for turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pie, cold weather and, of course, NyQuil.

The first major holiday in the big holiday season trilogy also means the full force of flu season will soon bear down on us all.

So as you get ready to go home for the holidays, take a shot in the arm.

Take some time and go get a flu shot.

TCU’s shipment of the vaccine was smaller than expected, so supplies on campus are limited. Many other places around the city, however, can administer the vaccine at a low cost.

Whether or not you have to pay for the shot doesn’t matter. A little bit of cash and a sore arm is a small price to pay for not having to drag yourself out of bed to make it to your last classes with box of tissues in hand and a fever.

Beyond preventing yourself from getting sick, getting a flu shot helps protect those around you.

With the holidays upon us, many will go home to visit relatives.

The elderly and those with weakened immune systems can get seriously ill or even die from the flu.

Colleges are traditionally rife with diseases. This is even more apparent when a professor’s statements are punctuated by coughs from fellow classmates. The last thing any of us want in class is someone behind us sneezing on our necks, so it is best to take measures to prevent viruses from spreading to family members that could be at risk.

In most cases, the flu isn’t a life-or-death situation, but a few minutes of your time will help protect those at risk, while at the same time sparing you from a couple of weeks of misery and a great deal of inconvenience.

Opinion Editor Brian Chatman for the Editorial Board.