As an infectious diseases specialist, I understand the frustration and fatigue. For many, the past years have felt like crisis after crisis, and thinking about another virus season and another vaccination may feel exhausting.

Layer in the increasing fog of vaccine misinformation and our hyper-polarized public sphere and it is pretty easy to see why the annual influenza shot may not top everyone’s priority list.

But I’m a hospital-based clinician who witnesses the potentially devastating effects of influenza every winter. I must emphasize that your flu shot is more crucial than you might realize.

It’s important to know that vaccine effectiveness in preventing infection varies year to year depending on how well the chosen vaccine strains match the circulating viruses. When people still ge

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