Spread holiday cheer but not the flu: Join the Twitter chat This flu season could be the worst in nearly a decade, health officials warn. Meanwhile, states nationwide are coping with rising cases of whooping cough. How can you protect yourself and your family? Join NBC chief science and medical correspondent Robert Bazell as he hosts a Twitter chat Wed, Dec. 12 at from 11 a.m. to noon ET. You can follow the chat at #nbcnewshealth. Bazell will be interviewing: Mayo Clinic vaccine expert Dr. Gregory Poland (@drgregpoland); Mayo Clinic infectious diseases expert Dr. Priya Sampathkumar (@PSampathkumarMD); Mayo Clinic pediatrician and epidemiologist Dr. Young Juhn (@YoungJuhnMD) and Dr. Joseph Bresee, chief of the epidemiology and prevention branch of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's influenza division. During the chat, the experts will discuss the flu season, the whooping cough outbreak, what's new with flu and other vaccines and which seasonal shots people should get. You will also learn steps you can take to try to avoid catching or spreading the flu, a cold, whooping cough and other infectious illnesses during all of the holiday togetherness -- sharing buffets, hitting packed shopping malls and sitting on crowded planes, for example. Follow Robert Bazell on Facebook and on Twitter @RobertBazellNBC. Doctors say the best prevention against the flu is to get vaccinated. This year's vaccine closely matches the virus that is circulating and is in ample supply, officials told NBC's Robert Bazell.