It’s that time of year again: the season of Santa and snow and the spice blend that became a punchline. (Opinion-within-an-opinion: it’s a very pleasant spice blend.) It’s also the season of a particular irony, when even those enlightened Americans cursing the anti-vaxxers forgo the flu shot. “I don’t need it,” I’ve heard from plenty of people with the means and the bill of health health necessary to get vaccinated.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, around 45 per cent of American adults got a flu shot last year, and the 55 per cent leftover surely includes at least a few wringing their hands over anti-vaccine pseudoscience and the reemergence of preventable deadly viruses. Reminder: the flu is a deadly virus, too. It’s not some medieval pestilence that we can nowadays treat with a Band-Aid. From October 2018 to May 2019, over 530,000 people were hospitalized and over 36,000 people died from the flu in the United States.
I’m not a medical professional or a paid pharmaceutical lobbyist or a secret government agent planting information for sheeple. In fact, I skipped the flu shot for most of my life. I’m from Florida, one of the bottom-of-the-barrel states regarding flu shot coverage last season, per the CDC. (Florida hits the bottom of other barrels, too, but I digress.) Eventually I moved to New Jersey for a job at Newark Airport, where I managed an airline operation. At monthly terminal meetings, representatives from all parts of the airport contributed updates. When it came to the CDC, the representative usually had one thing to say: “Get your flu shot.” I never listened, and eventually scored my first flu virus in New Jersey, spending several feverish days on the couch watching a marathon of Bobby Dean’s cooking show because I lacked the strength to change the channel.
That was bad, but I eventually learned that much worse things could happen from the flu.
The turning point came in 2016. I became pregnant with my daughter in January, which is nearly peak flu season. Early in my pregnancy, I arrived at the emergency room with several flu symptoms. Upon hearing I was pregnant at the intake desk, they beelined me straight to the doctor. There’s something wildly unsettling about being whisked to the front of the ER line past a handful of ailing individuals, half of whom I assumed carried their severed appendages on ice.
Did you know that the flu is particularly deadly to a pregnant person? Or that the flu may cause birth defects in the gestating child? I didn’t either. Nobody told me before that frightening day, which is why I am telling you now.
Nine months later, I was walking around New York with an infant daughter in November. Flu season again. I wished I could envelop her in a breathable bubble of completely purified air. Did you know that a newborn must be shuttled swiftly to the hospital if his or her temperature rises to a fever? Or that infants are among the most vulnerable to serious complications or death from the flu? Again, now you do.
1/50 22 December 2019
A journalist gets pepper-sprayed after a heated exchange with police during a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China. Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China’s Uighurs — with one officer drawing a pistol — as the city’s pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority
AFP via Getty
2/50 21 December 2019
Children react as a Bengal tiger licks the glass surrounding its enclosure during the “Animal Christmas Party”, where the youths were treated to a tour of the Malabon Zoo, in Manila
AFP via Getty Images
3/50 20 December 2019
In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral
AP
4/50 19 December 2019
A freediver wearing a Father Christmas outfit poses underwater off the coast of the northern city of Batroun
AFP via Getty
5/50 18 December 2019
People rally in support of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump in front of the US Capitol, as the House readies for the historic vote
AFP via Getty
6/50 17 December 2019
Protesters set fire to dumpsters and tires as they block a road in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon
AFP via Getty
7/50 16 December 2019
People ride a merry-go-round at the Christmas Market at the Red Square in Moscow
AFP via Getty
8/50 15 December 2019
The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike
AFP via Getty
9/50 14 December 2019
Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far
AFP via Getty
10/50 13 December 2019
A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added
EPA
11/50 12 December 2019
A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne
EPA
12/50 11 December 2019
A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital
AP
13/50 10 December 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event “Unite behind the science” within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid
AFP via Getty
14/50 9 December 2019
White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption
EPA/Michael Schade
15/50 8 December 2019
People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country’s last major opposition bastion
AFP via Getty
16/50 7December 2019
A French CGT unionist holds up the union’s flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week
AFP via Getty
17/50 6 December 2019
People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues
EPA
18/50 5 December 2019
Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women’s volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines
Reuters
19/50 4 December 2019
Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand
Getty
20/50 3 December 2019
Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila
AFP via Getty
21/50 2 December 2019
A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai
AFP via Getty
22/50 1 December 2019
Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.
Reuters
23/50 30 November 2019
A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.
AFP via Getty
24/50 29 November 2019
A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
25/50 28 November 2019
Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement
EPA
26/50 27 November 2019
Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania
AP
27/50 26 November 2019
A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad
AFP via Getty
28/50 25 November 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops
KCNA via Reuters
29/50 24 November 2019
A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq
Reuters
30/50 23 November 2019
Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia
Getty
31/50 22 November 2019
Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
32/50 21 November 2019
A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera
AFP/Getty
33/50 20 November 2019
Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta
AP
34/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
35/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
36/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
37/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
Reuters
38/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
39/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
EPA
40/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
41/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
42/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
43/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
44/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
45/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
46/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
Reuters
47/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
Reuters
48/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
AP
49/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
50/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
1/50 22 December 2019
A journalist gets pepper-sprayed after a heated exchange with police during a rally in Hong Kong to show support for the Uighur minority in China. Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China’s Uighurs — with one officer drawing a pistol — as the city’s pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority
AFP via Getty
2/50 21 December 2019
Children react as a Bengal tiger licks the glass surrounding its enclosure during the “Animal Christmas Party”, where the youths were treated to a tour of the Malabon Zoo, in Manila
AFP via Getty Images
3/50 20 December 2019
In this long exposure photo, the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket carrying the Boeing Starliner crew capsule lifts off on an orbital flight test to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral
AP
4/50 19 December 2019
A freediver wearing a Father Christmas outfit poses underwater off the coast of the northern city of Batroun
AFP via Getty
5/50 18 December 2019
People rally in support of the impeachment of US President Donald Trump in front of the US Capitol, as the House readies for the historic vote
AFP via Getty
6/50 17 December 2019
Protesters set fire to dumpsters and tires as they block a road in the southern Lebanese city of Sidon
AFP via Getty
7/50 16 December 2019
People ride a merry-go-round at the Christmas Market at the Red Square in Moscow
AFP via Getty
8/50 15 December 2019
The Red Rebels, part of the Extinction Rebellion Australia demonstrator group, participate in a climate protest rally in Sydney. The group rallied in front of the landmark Sydney Opera House demanding urgent climate action from Australia’s government, as bushfire smoke choking the city caused health problems to spike
AFP via Getty
9/50 14 December 2019
Protesters block a road after setting buses on fire during a demonstration against the Indian government’s Citizenship Amendment Bill in Howrah, on the outskirts of Kolkata, India. Protests against a divisive new citizenship law raged on as Washington and London issued travel warnings for northeast India following days of violent clashes that have killed two people so far
AFP via Getty
10/50 13 December 2019
A huge cloud of black smoke raises over a burning warehouse in the southern outskirts of Moscow. There were no immediate reports of any casualties, but one fire fighter was injured and 25 ambulance cars and a special air testing vehicle are at the site, they added
EPA
11/50 12 December 2019
A slow shutter speed shot shows oarsmen in traditional costume rowing during the Royal Barge Procession to mark the conclusion of the Royal Coronation ceremony, on the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. The ceremony honours King Rama X after his complete accession to the throne
EPA
12/50 11 December 2019
A boy inspects his damaged home after after an attack near the Bagram Air Base in Kabul, Afghanistan, A powerful suicide bombing targeted an under-construction medical facility near the main American base north of the capital
AP
13/50 10 December 2019
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg arrives to participate in the event “Unite behind the science” within the UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Madrid
AFP via Getty
14/50 9 December 2019
White Island (Whakaari) volcano, as it erupts, in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. According to police, at least five people have died in the volcanic erruption
EPA/Michael Schade
15/50 8 December 2019
People gather amidst the ruins of a building, destroyed during reported Syrian regime and Russian air strikes the previous day in the town of Balyun. The reported air raids killed 19 civilians, eight of them children, in the country’s last major opposition bastion
AFP via Getty
16/50 7December 2019
A French CGT unionist holds up the union’s flag as he demonstrates against unemployment amidst smoke bombs in Nantes. The most serious nationwide strike to hit France in years caused new misery for weekend travellers, with defiant unions dismissing proposals by the government and warning walkouts would last well into next week
AFP via Getty
17/50 6 December 2019
People stand on top of a collapsed six-storey building in Nairobi, Kenya. Local media reported that several people are feared trapped as the rescue operation continues
EPA
18/50 5 December 2019
Indonesia players celebrate a point during their match against Vietnam in the women’s volleyball preliminary round of the Southeast Asian Games being held in the Philippines
Reuters
19/50 4 December 2019
Firefighters work to contain a large fire at an industrial building at Inlet Road inn Auckland, New Zealand
Getty
20/50 3 December 2019
Doan Quynh Nam Tran of Vietnam competes in the women’s gymnastics at the SEA Games (Southeast Asian Games) in Manila
AFP via Getty
21/50 2 December 2019
A youth plays on foamy discharge, caused by pollutants, as it mixes with the surf at a beach in Chennai
AFP via Getty
22/50 1 December 2019
Southeast Asian Games at the Royce Hotel, Mabalacat, Philippines. Vietnam’s Pham Hong Anh in action during her single dance final.
Reuters
23/50 30 November 2019
A woman holds a coloured flag at the Botswana Pride Parade in Gaborone. The parade is the first one organised in Botswana, after the Court ruled on June 11 in favour of decriminalising homosexuality, which had been punishable by a jail term of up to seven years.
AFP via Getty
24/50 29 November 2019
A child holds a placard during a ‘drop dead’ flashmob protest against climate change consequences at Lumpini Park in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
25/50 28 November 2019
Pro-democracy protesters hold an SOS sign and US national flags during a Thanksgiving rally in Edinburgh Place, Hong Kong. Protesters were thanking US President Donald Trump for signing into a law ‘The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act Hong Kong’, provoking an angry backlash from the Chinese government. Hong Kong is in its sixth month of mass protests, which were originally triggered by a now withdrawn extradition bill, and have since turned into a wider pro-democracy movement
EPA
26/50 27 November 2019
Rescuers with a dog search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Durres, western Albania
AP
27/50 26 November 2019
A shepherd leads a flock of sheep on a pontoon bridge in Allahabad
AFP via Getty
28/50 25 November 2019
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a female company belonging to 5492 troops
KCNA via Reuters
29/50 24 November 2019
A protester jumps between burning tires during ongoing anti-government protests in Basra, Iraq
Reuters
30/50 23 November 2019
Fans dressed as Star Wars characters during day three of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at The Gabba in Australia
Getty
31/50 22 November 2019
Pope Francis speaks with religious leaders during a meeting at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand
Reuters
32/50 21 November 2019
A girl injured in last night’s attack by the Syrian regime on a camp for displaced people near the Turkish border in Idlib, Syria is held up to the camera
AFP/Getty
33/50 20 November 2019
Indian paramilitary soldiers detain a Congress party supporter during a protest against the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) cover to party president Sonia Gandhi, her children and former prime minister Manmohan Singh, in New Delh. The move to lift off the SPG security, an elite force that protects prime ministers and their immediate families, led to sharp reactions from the Congress, which accused the government of personal vendetta
AP
34/50 19 November 2019
An image taken from a plane window shows Sydney shrouded in smoke from nearby bush fires
AAP Imagevia Reuters
35/50 18 November 2019
Protesters run for cover after riot police fired tear gas towards the bridge they were climbing down to the road below, to escape from Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Dozens escaped the besieged campus by lowering themselves on a rope from a footbridge to a highway. Once on the road they were seen being picked up by waiting motorcyclists
AFP via Getty
36/50 17 November 2019
Anti-government protesters draped in Iraqi national flags walk into clouds of smoke from burning tires during a demonstration in the southern city of Basra, Iraq
AFP via Getty
37/50 16 November 2019
A protester wearing a yellow jacket waves a French flag in a fountain during a demonstration to mark the first anniversary of the “yellow vests” movement in Nice, France
Reuters
38/50 15 November 2019
A Palestinian protester uses a slingshot to return a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces amid clashes following a weekly demonstration against the expropriation of Palestinian land by Israel in the village of Kfar Qaddum
AFP via Getty
39/50 14 November 2019
A patient suffering from dengue fever receives medical treatment at an isolation ward at a hospital in Larkana, Pakistan. According to local reports, 26 deaths have been reported out of a total of 10,013 confirmed cases of dengue infection. Dengue fever is reportedly caused by a specific type of mosquito, the Aedes mosquito, that bites only during daytime, especially during sunrise and sunset.
EPA
40/50 13 November 2019
An anti-government protester flashes the V-sign for victory in front of burning tyres used to block a main road at the entrance of Tripoli. The previous night, street protests erupted across Lebanon after President Michel Aoun defended the role of his allies, the Shiite movement Hezbollah, in Lebanon’s government, cutting off several major roads. In his televised address, Aoun proposed a government that includes both technocrats and politicians
AFP via Getty
41/50 12 November 2019
An Israeli missile launching from the Iron Dome defence missile system, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells. They were sent up to intercept rockets launched from the nearby Palestinian Gaza Strip. Israel’s military killed a commander for Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad in a strike on his home, prompting retaliatory rocket fire and fears of a severe escalation in violence
AFP/Getty
42/50 11 November 2019
A species of deer thought to be extinct, the chevrotain, has been spotted for the first time in 30 years in the wilds of Vietnam. The deer is around the size of a domestic cat
SIE/GWC/Leibniz-IZW/NCNP /SWNS.C
43/50 10 November 2019
The royal motorcade of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, under tight security, passes through a street in Tokyo. Thousands of people gathered for the rare open-top car parade featuring the newly enthroned Emperor
Kyodo News via AP
44/50 9 November 2019
People knock over a mock-up of the former Berlin Wall during a performance prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha BSC Berlin v RB Leipzig on the 30 anniversary of the fall off the wall
AFP/Getty
45/50 8 November 2019
Flames from an out of control bushfire from a nearby residential area in Harrington, northeast of Sydney. Australian firefighters warned they were in “uncharted territory” as they struggled to contain dozens of out-of-control bushfires across the east of the country
Kelly-ann Oosterbeek/AFP/Getty
46/50 7 November 2019
Demonstrators shine lasers during a protest against Chile’s government in Santiago, the capital
Reuters
47/50 6 November 2019
Activists from India’s main opposition Congress party shout slogans as they are stopped by police during a protest against what the activists say is economic slowdown in the country, in Guwahati, India
Reuters
48/50 5 November 2019
Smoke rises from a fire in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. Firefighters worked hard to try and extinguish a fire at the Balogun market. Thick black smoke and flames shot from the five-story buildings as fire trucks attempted to get access
AP
49/50 4 November 2019
Women run down a sand dune as they take part in the desert trek “Rose Trip Maroc” in the erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It is a female-oriented trek where teams of three must travel through the southern Moroccan Sahara desert with a compass, a map and a topographical reporter
AFP via Getty
50/50 3 November 2019
Riot police descend an escalator inside the City Plaza mall in Hong Kong after a bloody knife fight wounded six people there. A local pro-democracy politician had his ear bitten off during another chaotic day of political unrest in the city
AFP via Getty
Yes, I understand that you don’t think you’ll die if you get the flu. But please listen to someone who has been in the shoes of the vulnerable, someone who is mother to a young child: it’s not all about you.
You may not die from the flu, but you may catch the flu and unwittingly pass it on to a person who will. Beyond pregnant women and small children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of complications or death from the flu. Just like any other vaccine, the flu shot should be part of the responsible citizen’s annual routine in the US.
There is some good news. The CDC reports that last year’s flu shot coverage rates were low — but the rate of vaccination was several percentage points higher than the previous year. Perhaps this year we’ll crack the halfway point.
For the sake of our most vulnerable populations, I strongly encourage you to figure out how to get your flu shot right now. You can even get a seasonally-spiced beverage on the way there. Or not. Unlike the flu shot, that particular topic is up for debate.
