Is it autumn already? It must be, because some spots in the Ozarks saw temperatures in the 40s this week. Better get the fuzzy blanket out of the closet.
Autumn also brings the arrival of "flu season," which has to be put in scare quotes because there's never a season in which you can't get the flu. But as people huddle more indoors in the cooler weather, this is the time of year when the flu starts peaking, and won't stop until after the Super Bowl.
This year it's extra important to get a flu vaccine. (As long as certain lawmakers believe it's real. And even if they don't.)
For starters, Arkansas' hospitals are overrun with unvaccinated covid-19 patients. So if your flu case happens to be dire, it's going to be that much more difficult to get the emergency care you need. And don't expect mercy from hospitals in the states around us, because they're in the same unvaccinated boat.
Covid-19 infection rates are still high, although dropping in Arkansas. And as good as the vaccines are, there are still breakthrough cases. You don't want to put your immune system through the stress of having flu and covid-19 at the same time. Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 want in your lungs in the worst ways. Emphasis on worst.
For those worried about any nasty effects between the covid-19 vaccine and flu vaccine, fear not. Medical experts know what they're talking about.
"Residents should not hesitate to get the flu vaccine this year, in addition to covid-19 immunization, [Fayetteville's] public health officer told the Board of Health on Wednesday," one article reads.
"People who have not yet gotten immunized against covid-19 can get the shot at the same time as their yearly flu vaccine, said Marti Sharkey, the city's public health officer. She likened getting both shots at the same time to how children get multiple vaccinations before starting school."
There you have it. You can get the flu vaccine without having to be worried that it'll cause some sort of incident if it mixes with your covid-19 vaccination. And you know what else the flu vaccine has in common with the covid-19 vaccine, aside from helping to keep you alive? Your insurance likely covers the cost, making it free. Thank goodness insurance companies figured out it's cheaper to prevent sickness than to treat it afterward.
You may hear arguments against the flu vaccine citing lower numbers of infections during last season, and it's true that there was a drop in infections. Here's more from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health:
"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that it had logged 1,316 positive flu cases in its surveillance network between September 2020 and the end of January 2021. During that same period last year, the CDC had recorded nearly 130,000 cases."
But numbers without context are about as useful as a guard dog that barks at everything. The actual reason for a drop in flu infections last year was likely because of mask mandates and social distancing guidelines. That's unlikely to protect folks this year, as a number of places have rolled such regulations back.
So while you're waiting on Uncle Sam to decide on booster shots, get that flu shot.
Getting back to those boosters. That's also worth your consideration. Uncle Sam is in the process of deciding who gets a third dose of the Pfizer shot right now.
Not everyone will be eligible for a booster right away, as America takes a more limited approach than places like Israel and Britain with third doses.
It's not a great time to get sick. Doctors and nurses are pushed to their limit across the country. That's been true for more than a year. And it's not to say they don't want to take care of sick people, but everyone has their limits. The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak.
So what you're doing by getting your booster and/or flu vaccine is telling doctors and nurses you're going to do everything you possibly can not to end up in one of their intensive care units. And since these vaccines accomplish this without taking money directly from your wallet, that sounds like a pretty good deal.