Health Experts Urge September-October Vaccination for 3 Respiratory Viruses

Q: If vaccines cannot fully stop infections, what overlooked daily habit is secretly fueling the spread of respiratory viruses in your home?

The overlooked habit is poor hand hygiene, especially touching your face after handling contaminated surfaces. Health experts say flu, RSV and some COVID spread can still happen when virus on doorknobs, phones, light switches, remotes or countertops gets onto hands and then into the eyes, nose or mouth. That is why public health guidance keeps pairing vaccination with regular handwashing. Vaccines sharply cut the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death, but they do not block every infection. Daily habits still matter inside homes, where family members share air, bathrooms, kitchens and high-touch objects. Experts recommend washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating, after coughing or sneezing, after using the restroom, after caring for someone sick and after coming home from public places. If soap is not available, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Another common driver is neglecting high-touch surfaces and indoor air. Cleaning frequently touched items and improving ventilation by opening windows, using exhaust fans, or running air filtration can reduce virus buildup indoors. Staying home when sick and covering coughs and sneezes also help break household spread. In short, the “secret” fuel is not just missed shots. It is the everyday cycle of unwashed hands, face-touching and poorly cleaned, poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

3 articles · Updated · Wausau Pilot and Review · Sep 17

September and October vaccinations can build immunity before flu, COVID-19 and RSV spread widely this fall and winter, health experts said, urging people to update shots now rather than wait for cases to rise.
CDC guidance recommends annual flu shots for everyone 6 months and older, with rare exceptions, because influenza strains change and vaccine formulas are updated each season; experts said yearly COVID-19 shots remain important for the same reason.
Vaccines may not fully prevent infection, but providers said they can cut illness severity, hospitalizations and serious complications, especially for older adults, infants and young children, immunocompromised people, and those with heart disease, lung disease or diabetes.
Handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning high-touch surfaces and staying home when sick were also emphasized, with experts saying layered prevention can reduce spread in households, schools, workplaces and the broader community.