NATIONWIDE — We’re now in the thick of the holiday season—one of the happiest, most festive times of the year.

Alas, we’re also heading into peak flu season.

As we know, the last few years have been dominated by COVID-19, which, though not nearly the public health threat it once was, continues to spread throughout the population via its newest strain.

Couple that with the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), and you have an unholy triumvirate of respiratory illnesses capable of wreaking significant havoc and ruining your yuletide cheer.

Thankfully, we have vaccines to keep these viruses at bay. Trust me, they’re safe and effective and can save you and your loved ones from getting sick or worse.

This brings me to give a nod to National Influenza Vaccination Week, which takes place December 4 to 8. Coordinated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the annual observance serves as a helpful reminder to people that there’s still time to get a flu shot this season. 

This year’s slogan is the highly appropriate “A flu vaccine can take flu from wild to mild.”

Typically, flu season begins around late September or early October (the ideal time to get vaccinated), then increasingly accelerates until it peaks between December and February. In some years, infections can occur as late as May.

The best thing you can do to protect yourself from the flu—and lessen its effects if you do contract it—is to get the annual flu shot. The shot is available to anyone aged six months and older. 

CDC studies have shown that flu vaccination reduces the risk of contracting the illness by 40 to 60 percent among the general public.

Flu symptoms typically surface within a couple of days, and the virus shares many of the same effects as COVID-19—among them fever, chills, dry cough, body aches, headaches, stuffy/runny nose, shortness of breath and fatigue.

For specific vulnerable populations, vaccination is essential given their risk of severe illness, hospitalization and even death. That list includes pregnant women, young children, adults aged 65 and older and those with serious health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma and kidney disease. In the case of kids, thousands are hospitalized every year with severe flu, according to the CDC.

The Wright Center provides flu vaccinations at all its Northeast Pennsylvania locations. Many local pharmacies offer free flu shots to insured customers, and numerous local employers provide flu vaccinations as a free service to their workers.

According to the CDC, all flu vaccines available in the U.S. this season are the quadrivalent variety, designed to protect against four different flu viruses.

You want the holidays to be as joyous as possible without the threat of illness upending your plans. So, get the flu vaccine—it’s safe, effective, and is one of the best gifts you can give yourself and others this season. 

Joshua Braddell, DNP, CRNP, FNP-C, a board-certified registered nurse practitioner, serves as medical director of The Wright Center for Community Health Mid Valley practice. To schedule an office visit that includes vaccination at the Wright Center, call 570/230-0019 or visit www.TheWrightCenter.org.