Every year I have friends, family, and clients ask me if they should get a flu shot, and every year I respond with a resounding “YES!” Is that because I’m a health care provider? Partially...but it is also because I care about the people in my life and I have seen just how sick someone with a chronic condition can get.
For most people, September through October is the best time to get the flu shot. Flu activity increases in late fall and winter, and the cold dry air of winter makes the flu spread in communities. Although older adults are certainly encouraged to get a flu shot, so are people who are regularly in contact with older adults. According to the National Council on Aging, 93% of adults over the age of 65 have at least one chronic condition. This predisposes older adults to complications from influenza.
The flu vaccine may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it can reduce the severity of symptoms and prevent serious complications. This is important when you consider that in 2025 the number of deaths from influenza and pneumonia rose 17%, making it the eighth leading cause of death in the country. During the 2024 –2025 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control reported a 15 year high in flu-related hospitalizations and outpatient visits!
If you really don’t know if you should get a flu shot, ask yourself:
1. Do you have any chronic health conditions like asthma, COPD, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or blood disorders?
2. Are you 65 or older?
3. Do you spend time with older adults or anyone with chronic health conditions?
If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, take your shot! The side effects are minimal and you may save yourself and others from a potentially deadly disease.
Just my two cents,
Penny