The seasonal influenza vaccination campaign by the Health Service Executive began today.
The HSE is urging at risk groups, including pregnant women, to get vaccinated and says this year's jab also protects from swine flu.
Influenza viruses change each year and that is why a new flu vaccine is given out annually.
This time last year around 7,000 new cases of swine flu were being reported to GPs each week.
The HSE has predicted that the swine flu virus will be the dominant strain of flu this winter.
But it says there may also be other flu viruses around too.
This year's vaccine is designed to protect against swine flu and two other common flu strains, which means people will only need to get one flu vaccination.
At risk groups includes everyone over the age of 65, pregnant women, health care workers and children and adults with long-term illnesses like asthma and heart conditions.
