Cold and Flu Season Preparation and Prevention Tips

Cold weather means more time spent indoors, which, in turn, means close contact with others and potential exposure to viruses like the common cold, the flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Vaccines against these viruses remain the most effective way to safeguard your health all flu season long, and they help keep the people you love healthy, too.

“When it comes to seasonal viruses, prevention really is the best medicine,” says Dr. Keith Roach, internist and associate attending physician at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Vaccines prevent you from getting sick, and they can help prevent you from spreading the virus to others. When you get vaccinated, everyone benefits.”

Below, we discuss which vaccines you need this flu season and offer other simple tips for staying healthy all winter long.

Vaccines You Need for Flu Season

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends annual flu vaccination for almost everyone age 6 months and older.

“It’s important to get vaccinated every year because the flu itself changes,” Dr. Roach says. “So the protection that you had last year has largely worn off, and it was, to some extent, specific to last year’s flu.”

Getting the vaccine by the end of October helps prevent the flu before it starts circulating widely and will offer protection throughout the season, which typically peaks between December and February but can linger into March and April. If you miss the October deadline, receiving a flu shot late in the season still reduces your risk of severe illness, hospitalization or other complications.

Although we all benefit from vaccination, it’s particularly crucial for people at greatest risk for flu-related complications. Those people include:

• Chronic heart or lung disease (including heart failure, emphysema and severe arterial blockages)
• Older adults (65 or older)
• Those who smoke
• Young children (2 years or younger)

Along with seasonal flu vaccination, stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccination.

“You can receive your COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as a flu shot,” Dr. Roach says. “COVID-19 is still circulating, and the vaccine continues to effectively prevent its spread.”

While at your appointment, ask about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination. RSV typically causes mild symptoms in healthy adults, but it can lead to severe respiratory illness in infants and older adults. Vaccination for RSV provides protection during the flu season, when RSV is most common.

Reducing the Spread at Home, School and Work

Close contact in indoor spaces increases the likelihood of spreading respiratory illnesses during flu season. To reduce transmission and keep classmates and colleagues healthy, practice these habits:

• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow.
• Regularly disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as desks and doorknobs.
• Stay home when you feel sick.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

When symptoms begin, your provider may recommend treatment options that, if implemented immediately, can help you feel better more quickly.

“We typically treat the flu with an antiviral prescription medication called oseltamivir, typically taken as a pill twice a day for five days,” Dr. Roach says. “If you begin taking it within 24 hours of onset of flu symptoms, it can be very effective at preventing the virus from replicating—which gives your immune system a better shot at fighting it off.”

Key Takeaways for the Upcoming Flu Season

Staying healthy through flu season requires a proactive approach. Keep these tips in mind as you prepare.

1. Ensure you and everyone in your household ages 6 months and older receive an annual flu and COVID-19 vaccine.
2. For added protection, talk to your doctor about the RSV vaccine.
3. Prevent workplace and school transmission by staying home when sick, washing your hands regularly and sanitizing frequently touched surfaces.

To schedule your annual vaccinations, find a doctor at Weill Cornell Medicine.