epa03532289 Amelia Brown of Boston closes her eyes as she gets a flue vaccine shot during a free flu shot clinic at the Dorchester House in Boston, Massachusetts, USA 12 January 2013. On 09 January 2013 Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino declared a a health emergency in the city of Boston due to the flu outbreak and the Center For Disease Control has now announced that it has risen to an epidemic level in the country. 22 health centers in Boston are providing free flu shots through the weekend in a effort to control the spread of the disease. EPA/CJ GUNTHER