Protect Your Family This Season: Make the Flu Vaccine
Part of Your Annual Routine

By Southcentral Foundation Corporate Communications

Flu vaccines, like the one administered here by Southcentral Foundation Integrated Pharmacist Theresa Castellanos, provide important protection before the holiday season.

Every fall brings change with new schedules, colder weather, and the start of flu season. Adding a flu vaccine to your annual fall routine is a simple step to stay healthy and keep loved ones safe. Getting a flu vaccine in October gives your body time to build protection before influenza activity peaks, typically between December and February. It allows your immune system to develop antibodies in advance, giving you a head start when flu season arrives. Early vaccination also means protection lasts through the busiest months of holiday gatherings and travel.

“Everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccine by the end of October. This gives your body time to build immunity before flu activity peaks between December and February,” Southcentral Foundation Integrated Pharmacist Theresa Castellanos said. “It is especially important to get vaccinated well before the holiday season, when families gather indoors and travel increases, creating more opportunities for illness to spread.”

When a vaccine is introduced, the immune system responds by producing antibodies the same way it would if fighting the actual illness. This practice helps the body recognize and respond more quickly if exposed later. Even if you do catch the flu, being vaccinated can lessen symptoms, reduce complications, and shorten recovery time.

Flu vaccines can often be added to existing medical visits. If you are feeling unwell and unsure if you should receive a flu vaccine at a prescheduled appointment, contact your primary care team who can guide you on whether to wait or proceed. Customer-owners living in Anchorage can also visit flu vaccine clinics on Saturdays in October. For details, visit the SCF events calendar at southcentralfoundation.com/events/flu-vaccine-clinic-2025/.

Immunizations have transformed preventive care. Making the flu vaccine part of your annual fall routine helps you stay healthier, spend more time with family, and protect the community for seasons to come. Each flu vaccine administered lowers the chance of spreading illness and helps safeguard those most vulnerable, such as infants, Elders, and people with chronic conditions. They prevent serious complications and hospitalizations, reduce missed work, or school days, lower health care costs by avoiding preventable illness, and build community immunity that helps stop outbreaks.

To check if your immunizations are up to date, download the Alaska Department of Health Docket app at docket.care or visit SCF MyHealth. To schedule your flu vaccine, use MyHealth, or contact your primary care team directly.