JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Last year's H1N1 flu kept health officials busy. Rebecca Bartles, Infection Prevention Manager with Mountain States Health Alliance says, "Our emergency rooms many times were filled with flu patients."

While no one knows what to expect this year, flu shots are already in stock at many stores and pharmacies around the region.

Jamie Swift with the Northeast Tennessee Regional Health Department says, "It takes about 2 weeks to be protected once you get vaccinated and protection lasts about a year."

This year's vaccine is available in one dose, protecting patients against both seasonal flu and H1N1.

Hospitals admit, sometimes health care workers are the hardest to get vaccinated.

Swift says, "One of our big pushes and the CDC's big push is to really encourage health care workers of any sort to get their flu vaccines to do the public thing right thing get protected and protect patients."

Doctors say between 5% and 20% of people get the flu each year, which can have deadly effects. So, they're asking everyone to take the shot or mist.

"I think that's probably the number one reason health care workers don't get the flu vaccine. they think- I've never had it before. i'm not going to get the vaccine," says Bartle.

While some stores and pharmacies are already offering vaccines, others are still waiting for shipments. The CDC says there is no longer a need for high risk patients to get the vaccination first. Anyone older than 6 months can get it at any time. Mountain States Health Alliance says 80% of their health care workers got flu shots last year. That's above the national average of 53%.