No, my name is not Prudence, and what follows is not supposed to be about me. Similar to many people, I like to be prudent when planning my day. During warmer months, I need to know the predicted weather to plan when and how to water the vegetable garden and tend to my flowers. In winter, it’s important to know if snow is forecasted and when to avoid driving due to icy conditions.

When traveling by air or on crowded public transport, I wear a face mask to reduce the chance of getting sick during the journey. I also mask at concerts and rehearsals during respiratory virus season if there is data indicating a high level of circulating illness.

Before taking a recent vacation, I timed receiving updated flu and COVID-19 immunizations, as well as my first (and only) RSV shot, to maximize the period when my antibodies would peak for optimal protection against infection. While not foolproof, seeking optimal benefits felt reassuring, as did knowing that these vaccinations reduced my likelihood as an older adult of becoming seriously ill and requiring hospitalization from influenza, COVID, or RSV. As with flu shots, COVID and RSV vaccinations work best to lessen illness severity rather than to prevent infection entirely.

Knowledge is power, enabling us to accomplish things effectively. What do we know now in early 2026 about the current respiratory virus season?

We are in the worst flu season the U.S. has seen since 1997/98. A new strain of influenza A (H3N2), subclade K, is now responsible for nearly 80% of U.S. cases. It evades prior immunity and is not covered well by this season’s vaccine because the virus mutated in an unusually major way after the vaccine was manufactured. Children are being hit hardest, with the highest emergency-room visit rates. Already, 44 children have died this season, and the total may surpass last year’s record of 280 pediatric flu deaths.

This is unfolding as routine flu vaccination for children has been shifted by Health and Human Services (HHS) to ‘shared clinical decision-making,’ despite clear, evidence-based recommendations from physician groups that everyone should be vaccinated. (‘Shared clinical decision-making’)is appropriate when medical options, like treat or don’t treat, are equally effective.) During this severe flu season with rising pediatric deaths, the science supports a clear recommendation to vaccinate.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical organizations strongly recommend annual flu vaccination for everyone over six months of age. High-quality evidence shows that flu vaccines, even this year’s mis-matched formula, reduce illness, hospitalizations, and deaths in children and adults.

The message is straightforward: get vaccinated. If flu symptoms develop, ask promptly about antiviral medications like Tamiflu or the possibly more effective, single-dose Xofluza, both of which can lower the risk of severe disease when started early. And use common-sense respiratory illness protection — mask in crowded indoor spaces, improve ventilation, and stay home when sick.

COVID-19 cases this winter are reported to be lower than in recent years and may have peaked, yet the virus persists as a significant health concern. From September 2024 to September 2025, COVID resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 20,000 hospitalizations in Pennsylvania, primarily among adults with underlying conditions, although many hospitalized young children had been completely healthy. Vaccination is crucial, particularly for babies over six months, unvaccinated children, adults over 65, for those with weakened immune systems, and during pregnancy. Immunity decreases over time, making updated vaccinations important. High-risk individuals who test positive for COVID should seek prompt antiviral treatments like Paxlovid or molnupiravir to avoid severe illness.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), historically known to occur among newborns and premature babies, has been increasingly highlighted in the adult population. RSV leads to hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and 10,000 to 23,000 deaths annually in the U.S., particularly affecting young children and adults with underlying conditions. Effective prevention options have emerged, including monoclonal antibodies for sick infants during RSV season and, since 2023, vaccinations for pregnant women in their third-trimester during the months of September through January, which protect newborns. Additionally, a single lifetime vaccination for adults aged 50 to 74 with cardiac and respiratory risks and for anyone over age 75 reduces severe RSV cases and hospitalizations by 85 to 90 percent. Despite these advancements, RSV hospitalizations this winter have been rising, and vaccination rates for RSV, as with COVID and influenza, remain inadequate.

Given the confusing nature of recent public health messaging from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is prudent to obtain accurate information from your healthcare providers and from reputable medical organizations’ user-friendly websites. These include the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Evidence-based information helps people stay safe. Seek it!

Barbara Hemmendinger, MSS, a member of the Lycoming County Health Improvement Coalition and a retired family medicine educator, belongs to Let’s End COVID! a group of concerned people in northcentral PA seeking to improve community health through education, outreach, and mitigation.