Fall is marked by leaves on the ground, the morning air turning crisp and shorter days that lead into longer, cozier nights. While it’s hard not to romanticize the season, it’s certainly easy to recognize the coming health risks that arrive with it.
“When we think of fall, we think of leaves changing color and kids going back to school,” says Dr. Connie Park, MD of Kaiser Permanente-San Leandro. “But we also see an increased risk of the flu, RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] and influenza.”
Park, who specializes in infectious diseases, is just one of many healthcare professionals reminding the general public of the importance of getting vaccinated this fall and coming winter.
“Vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective ways to protect against serious illness and help reduce the severity of symptoms if infection occurs,” Kaiser Permanente stated in an email.
According to the healthcare provider, it’s highly recommended that everyone six months and older be vaccinated with an annual flu vaccine by the end of October. As of May 2026, studies have shown that the flu vaccine reduces the risk of contraction anywhere from 40-60%.
it’s highly recommended that everyone six months and older be vaccinated with an annual flu vaccine by the end of October
Yet despite the sound argument for vaccination, “vaccine fatigue” and “healthcare apathy” continue to persist among everyday Americans. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), less than half of U.S. adults got the flu vaccine in 2025 and fewer than 18% of all eligible adults received the updated 2025/26 Covid vaccine. In addition, many communities (especially marginalized communities of color) continue to experience generational medical distrust stemming from traumatic events such as the “Tuskegee Trials” of the early twentieth century.
“I understand that there has been a lot of mistrust and I don’t think there is an easy answer,” adds Dr. Park. “We are working to build that community trust and restoring that relationship between doctor and patient to get the message across that vaccines are safe and effective.”
During the 2024-25 flu season alone, the CDC estimated that flu vaccines prevented about 10 million flu-related illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 flu-linked deaths in the United States.
However, the flu is not the only threat to one’s health in the coming months. While the initial Covid-19 outbreak in the US occurred six years ago, Dr. Park still urges the public to stay vigilant.
“‘Post-pandemic,’ I feel is a little bit of a misleading term because the pandemic was really about the emergency part of it,” says Dr. Park. “Certainly that emergency is over but Covid is still definitely around. It’s still making people sick, it’s still hospitalizing people and it’s still causing death so I don’t think now is the time to take our foot off the gas pedal.”
Flu vaccines for people six months of age and older are available now at all Kaiser Permanente locations as well as at most major healthcare providers. For those planning on getting vaccine flu shots at their local Safeway grocery store or CVS Pharmacy, they can do so free of cost with most health insurance plans.
For more information and resources regarding flu and updated Covid vaccines, visit mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/flu-and-covid-19-vaccine-locations/.
