Photo by xaminmo.

Flu season might not have a theme song, but it’s got a mascot and league officials and rally towels. And flu season is upon us. This year, it’s just as confusing as the BCS to boot. There are now two shots (or sprays) to consider — one for seasonal influenza and one for the dreaded H1N1 bug — and you’ll need to consult the strength-of-schedule rankings for your Ward to determine whether you’re eligible to receive an H1N1 vaccination. What does that even mean? It means you need to ask yourself: Are you ready for some flu shots?

DCist spoke to Pierre Vigilance, director of the D.C. Department of Health and the best-named person for the job, who says that, first and foremost, health officials expect that there will be enough seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccine to keep up with demand this season. States order flu vaccines individually, based on population size and makeup and at-risk demographics. (For the purposes of ordering flu vaccine, D.C. is considered a state.) The District will be receiving its own supply, distinct from the rations delivered to Maryland and Virginia. “We are not sharing vaccine, but we expect to get enough vaccinations,” said Dr. Vigilance.

For the many schoolchildren and workers who commute into the District, health officials aren’t being sticklers about sticking you where you reside. The CDC distributes vaccines based on where people live, work, and go to school. So if you are a precocious grade school-aged child reading DCist from P.G. County — but you go to school in D.C. — you’ll most likely get a flu shot or spray within the friendly confines of the District.