Health experts assure Mainers that vaccines are safe and effective protection

Maine (WABI) - A number of Mainers are ringing in 2026 with the flu.

The most recent data from the Maine CDC shows 108 influenza-associated hospitalizations for the final week of December and three influenza-associated deaths.

Health experts say there is still time to protect yourself from the flu as well as COVID.

“There’s a lot of background noise now challenging years of public health data showing that vaccines are probably the most important things we have developed to save lives in history.“

-Dr. David Hill

Now that the holiday season is winding down, there’s another season ramping up. All those gatherings, travel and close contact with people are the perfect petri dish for respiratory viruses.

Dr. David Hill is a pulmonologist and the chair of the American Lung Association Board of Directors.

“The flu vaccine should really be a priority because we are seeing increased flu rates,” says Hill. “The ideal time to get vaccinated for the flu is really September and October, but it’s not too late. It takes about two weeks for all the vaccines to kick in.”

Last year was considered a severe flu season in the country. Health experts hope 2026 isn’t a repeat.

“We had a new strain that developed, I believe it was in August of this year,” says Sara Lane, manager of pharmacy clinical services at Hannaford. “So even though we did have an Influenza A, H3, N2 strain in our vaccine, it just drifted a little bit since then.”

Nevertheless, doctors say getting the flu shot even when it’s not ideally matched, will give you better protection against the virus that not getting vaccinated.

“We see children and adults die from influenza every year,” says Hill. “It almost always occurs in unvaccinated people. And it’s a travesty when it occurs.”

And while the focus is on the flu, COVID is still also a concern this year.

“COVID is still around,” Hill says emphatically. “The virus does change which is why the vaccines get updated. We still see people getting really sick and being hospitalized. And we’re still seeing lingering illness. I see patients in my practice all the time with consistent shortness of breath, with chronic cough, with fatigue after they’ve had COVID.”

To best protect yourself, the CDC recommends anyone six months and older get an annual flu and COVID vaccine. Those can be done at the same time.

For those 75 and older, and 60-74 with health risks, a one-time RSV shot is also recommended.

For the Maine CDC’s latest weekly influenza surveillance report, click here.

They are updated every Tuesday.