The flu's arrival is still about a month away, but health professionals say the latest shots are now available to protect yourself from whatever the annual season of misery might bring.
"We don't have any indication that a bad flu season is coming based on currently available data," said Dr. Shira Doron, of Tufts Medical Center
The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months get a flu shot. The length of the season varies, but it starts in the fall, runs through winter and peaks in February.
Right now, the southern hemisphere is finishing up an average flu season, but there's no guarantee that'll happen here.
One rule of thumb from health professionals: get your shot by Halloween.
"I got my vaccine, my COVID booster last week. But yeah, not getting the flu vaccine is just nutty," one man said.
COVID boosters are getting a lot of attention, too. Like flu shots, they're suggested for people over the age of six months, and, more importantly, pregnant women, people with underlying health problems as well as men and women over the age of 65.
"I'm probably not as protected against the latest strains of COVID as I need to be. I think I will probably get (a COVID booster) at the same time as I get the flu shot," another man said.
Despite rigorous testing over years and years, vaccinations of all kinds remain a source of controversy for some — not everyone's convinced they do what they supposed to do.
"We are seeing evidence that people are less likely today to be vaccinated than they were before the pandemic and that's really unfortunate," Doron said.
RSV is another seasonal concern, and the CDC is recommending new treatments for those who are most at risk, including infants.
