Health Experts Urge Flu Shots as Respiratory Virus Season Returns After Severe Year

Health experts are urging widespread flu vaccination as the nation heads into the fall respiratory virus season, stressing that getting a flu shot now can reduce severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths after a particularly severe season last year.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive an annual influenza vaccine. Sara Lane, manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services at Hannaford Supermarkets, said retail pharmacies and clinicians across New England and New York are reinforcing that guidance. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Geeta Sood of Johns Hopkins Medicine said the best time to be vaccinated is before influenza is widely circulating so there is enough time—about two weeks—for protective immunity to develop.

Public health officials commonly advise September and October as the optimal months to get vaccinated, although vaccination later in the season can still provide protection. The Cleveland Clinic notes that flu activity typically peaks between December and February. Lane cautioned that immunity from vaccination wanes over time and that influenza viruses can change from season to season, which is why the vaccine composition is reviewed and updated each year.

Last season's influenza activity was notable for high levels of severe illness. Sood said flu hospitalizations reached their highest levels since the 2010-11 season and child mortality from influenza was elevated. Those trends underscore the potential benefits of vaccination this year, she added.

Experts emphasize that while the flu vaccine does not guarantee complete prevention of infection, it is effective at reducing the severity of illness. "Getting the flu shot does not necessarily mean that you will not get the disease at all, but it will reduce the severity of the disease so that you don’t get super sick, so that you don’t get hospitalized, so that you don’t die from it," Sood said.

Vaccine uptake last season was below half of the population in some groups. Data show just under 50 percent of children and 46.7 percent of adults received influenza vaccination. Lane said higher coverage helps limit spread and contributes to community-level protection for people at greater risk of complications, including young children, older adults, pregnant people and those who are immunocompromised.

The injectable flu vaccine contains inactivated virus, and experts note that it cannot cause influenza. Recipients may experience mild, short-lived side effects such as muscle aches, low-grade fever or fatigue as the immune system responds. Sood said over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can be used for symptom relief, and Lane recommended staying hydrated and getting rest around the time of vaccination.

Flu shots are widely available at pharmacies, physician offices, community clinics and pharmacy locations within grocery stores. Health systems and retailers including CVS, Walgreens and regional supermarket chains offer seasonal vaccination programs; patients can contact local providers to schedule appointments or check walk-in availability.

Public health officials continue to monitor circulating strains and encourage those eligible to get vaccinated annually. With multiple respiratory viruses likely to circulate this season, clinicians and pharmacists said influenza vaccination remains a primary tool to reduce severe outcomes and protect vulnerable populations.