The Health Ministry announced that the flu season in Israel and other countries has started early this year, and it is evident that the rate of flu infections is rising steeply. "Monitoring global data suggests this will be a season with severe illness," the ministry stated. As a result, the pandemic response team will meet tomorrow to discuss the data and recommendations for preventing unusual outbreaks. The Health Ministry called on the public to get vaccinated and emphasized: "Although the flu vaccine does not completely prevent infection, in most cases it helps alleviate the severity of the disease and significantly reduces the risk of severe illness or death."