With all the focus on COVID and the emerging new vaccines, it’s easy to forget that there’s another critically important vaccine already available that’s essential to maintaining your health: the yearly influenza vaccine. Reports to date show a sizable uptick in the number of people requesting this year’s flu vaccine, especially among those 65+, which is great news, both to protect individuals and to help minimize flu hospitalizations during the crush of COVID infections. If you need more guidance about this year’s vaccine, the high dosage version for older adults, or info on how to find the vaccine near you, check out the latest CDC guidance here.

Right now, the data regarding this year’s flu season are quite promising. Little influenza spread has been detected across the country, and the numbers are significantly lower than past data for this time of year. It’s likely that with little travel going on, along with such COVID protections as mask wearing and hand washing, we may be lucky and have a very mild flu season for 2020-2021. However, given that peak flu season runs from December through February (and could last as late as May), we can’t be certain these low numbers will continue, especially given the pandemic “fatigue” so many are experiencing at this time. Moreover, there is some recently published research suggesting that this year’s mild flu season may come back to haunt us with a more virulent season next year. To find out more, wash your hands and click here.

In the meantime, the potential of becoming infected with influenza this year does remain a concern. Of course, the question may arise that if you suddenly become ill, have you contracted flu or COVID (or possibly some other viral infection)? To try to distinguish the two, as Donald McNeil, The New York Times science journalist, has made clear, “Flu makes you feel as if you were hit by a truck.” It’s possible you may feel that way with COVID, though a telltale COVID symptom- loss of smell- is not likely to afflict you if you’ve contracted the flu. But, as Kentucky high school teacher Lauren Hines recently described in STAT, you can become infected with both flu and COVID at the same time, no matter how many precautions you have tried to follow.

All the more reason to make sure you get your flu shot and take care of yourself. As Donald McNeil reminds us, getting the flu shot means you’re much less likely to be hospitalized or even die from the flu. Moreover, new research published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society underscores the immense value of the flu shot, as older adults who end up hospitalized with the flu are at substantial risk of leaving the hospital with permanent functional decline. So whether you’re concerned about COVID or the flu, the best defense is the offense of taking precautions and getting vaccinated- for yourself and for society at large.