Flu Shot + What Else? Building Your Fall Wellness Plan

September 10, 2026

Reviewed By: Rebecca Anderson, FNP-BC

It’s the time of year for all people—especially immunocompromised individuals and seniors—to add getting a flu shot to their “to-do” list. That’s right, flu season is right around the corner. This is the period in which influenza, or the flu, spreads most frequently. According to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), peak flu activity spans from October through May each year [1]. Sure, it’s only September, but now is actually the perfect time to plan for your flu shot and build your fall wellness plan for flu prevention. Keep reading to learn more about the flu shot and other necessary vaccines, daily habits to improve your health, and other tips and tricks!

Don’t Stop There – Other Vaccines Worth Talking to Your Provider About

The flu vaccine is on a lot of people’s radar for good reason, but that doesn’t mean you should neglect other potentially necessary vaccines. Depending on your health status, age, pre-existing conditions, and other factors, your doctor may also recommend other vaccinations. Listening to your doctor’s recommendations for vaccines is imperative for taking care of your health, as these vaccinations can help prevent conditions that can drastically impair your well-being. Some vaccines you should speak with your doctor about include:

Pneumonia vaccine: Doctors typically recommend this vaccine to children younger than 5 years and adults 50 years and older [2]. This is because people in these age groups are most at risk for pneumonia [3].
Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) vaccine: The CDC recommends that people age 75 and older receive the RSV vaccine [4]. Adults aged 50-74 may also be recommended the vaccine if they are at high risk for RSV illness, including those who have heart or lung disease, individuals who are immunocompromised, and those with other underlying conditions [4].
COVID booster vaccine: Even if you’ve already gotten your COVID vaccine or booster, another booster is necessary for those aged 65 and older and immunocompromised individuals [5]. Speak to your doctor about when/if you should receive a COVID booster, as this depends on the timing of your last booster vaccine. This goes hand-in-hand with flu prevention, as they share many of the same symptoms and dangers [6]

Daily Habits That Do More Than You Think

Vaccines and health recommendations depend on your doctor, but there are several actions you can take yourself to protect your health this flu season.

Hand hygiene: Washing your hands properly is one of the most obvious habits for preventing the flu, yet one of the most poorly practiced. Many people don’t wash their hands properly, even though they remember to do so before cooking and eating, after using the bathroom, and after touching any germ-ridden surface. This means that germs remain on your hands, which can lead to you contracting the flu or other illnesses and spreading them to others. To practice proper hand hygiene, wet your hands, lather them with hand soap, and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds (making sure to get all crevices, including between fingers and under fingernails), then rinse them and dry them with a clean towel [7].

Quality sleep: Getting enough quality sleep each night can aid many aspects of health, including strengthening the function of your immune system and preventing illnesses [8]. Professionals recommend that adults get 7 or more hours of quality sleep each night [9].

Nutrition: Eating nutrient-dense foods rich in vitamins and minerals can help regulate immune function and protect against various illnesses and diseases, according to many research studies [10]. Speak to your doctor for advice on diet changes.

Physical movement: You guessed it—getting proper exercise is also beneficial for your immune system. Physical movement mitigates symptoms of chronic illnesses and can help reduce the risk of contracting other conditions, like heart disease and diabetes [11]. Ask your doctor for advice on the best exercise routine for your health status and lifestyle.

Chronic condition management: It’s important to follow proper protocol when managing chronic conditions to ensure they don’t worsen. This means adhering to the medication management routine, lifestyle recommendations, and treatment plan your doctor recommends.

How to Flu-Proof Your Environment

Your environment can also make a difference when it comes to preventing the flu. To flu-proof your environment, first focus on proper ventilation and air quality. Ventilation, which refers to the amount of air moving in and out of an enclosed space, reduces the risk of airborne illnesses spreading [12]. To increase ventilation in your home, open windows, keep fans on, and run a window air conditioner [12]. Next, make sure your home is clean to prevent germ-ridden surfaces from spreading illnesses. Clean surfaces with a household disinfectant spray, and don’t neglect areas that are often forgotten but touched often, like remote controllers and doorknobs.

If you are someone who spends a lot of time in crowded spaces, consider wearing a face mask to further protect yourself and others [13]. Though it is best to avoid crowded areas during flu season, especially if you are immunocompromised, many individuals cannot fully avoid this. It’s all about taking preventative measures and protecting yourself the best you can!

Know the Warning Signs Early

If you start to experience symptoms, don’t panic. There are steps you can take to reduce your symptoms and recover. Common symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, and tiredness [14]. While COVID also causes symptoms like fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, tiredness, and body aches, it also commonly presents with shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, nausea/vomiting, and diarrhea [15]. COVID symptoms can also last up to 2 weeks, while flu symptoms often subside after about a week [16]. Finally, the common cold has similar symptoms, such as sore throat, runny nose, cough, and body aches [17]. However, it also commonly involves a low-grade fever, sneezing, and yellow/green mucus [17]. Cold symptoms often last 7-10 days, with the worst symptoms on days 1-3 [18].

Although some of these illnesses are commonly thought of as “less serious” than others, it’s important to contact your doctor or seek emergency help whenever symptoms like high fever or fever that doesn’t respond to medication, trouble breathing, chest pain, dizziness, or confusion arise [19]. You should also contact your doctor if your symptoms are worsening rather than improving over time.

If you contract the flu, COVID, a cold, or another airborne disease, you should act within the first 48 hours to reduce symptoms and the spread of the illness. If possible, stay home and limit contact with others until you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without medication and your symptoms are overall improving (except to see your doctor, if needed). Keeping cold and flu medicine at home may be a good idea for these cases, but contact your doctor for advice on what medicine to use before taking anything.

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