Valley View Pulmonologist Urges Flu Shots Before October Deadline

Glenwood Springs —“It has been said that the U.S. doesn’t have a health care system, but rather a disease management system.”

That line lands with a thud. It’s the kind of truth that makes you check your wallet and then check your pulse. We wait until the fever spikes, until the cough rattles the walls of a hospital room, and then we spend trillions trying to manage the mess. It’s expensive. It’s painful. And for a virus as common as the flu, it’s avoidable.

Dr. Khilnani knows this. He’s a pulmonologist and the head of Valley View Hospital’s Lung Center. During the 2024-25 flu season, he watched the hallway fill with people who shouldn’t have been there. Many were young. They weren’t there because they were unlucky; they were there because they were unvaccinated. They had serious, preventable complications. It’s a grim reminder that the flu isn’t just a nuisance — it’s a killer.

But death isn’t the only cost. There’s the quiet erosion of lost workdays. There are the empty desks in classrooms where kids are home with fevers. These are the parts of the story that don’t make the headlines, but they’re the ones that hit your paycheck and your child’s education.

The fix is simple, though it requires a bit of planning. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting an annual flu shot by the end of October. This applies to almost everyone six months and older. If you’ve been holding off because of an egg allergy, you can let that worry go — it’s no longer a barrier. For the tiniest babies under six months, the protection comes from their caregivers getting vaccinated.

If you’re over 65, the stakes are higher, and the vaccine is stronger. You should look for a higher-dose or adjuvanted vaccine. There’s even a new mRNA flu vaccine approved this year specifically for older adults. It’s a sign that the science is catching up to the threat.

Understanding the enemy helps. Influenza is caused by viruses, not bacteria. That means your go-to antibiotics won’t touch it. The heavy hitters are influenza A and B. Influenza C is usually a milder annoyance. In our climate, the virus wakes up in late fall, rages through winter, and lingers into early spring. It’s a seasonal guest that knows exactly when to arrive.

Timing is everything. It takes about two weeks for the flu shot to start working. So if you wait until you’re already sick, you’ve missed the window. You can get the shot at most doctor’s offices, pharmacies, and public health clinics. The formula changes every year because the circulating viruses mutate. It’s a moving target. Check the CDC website or ask your provider about the specific options available this season.

And for those of you who think the shot itself gives you the flu, hold that thought. The vaccine can’t cause influenza. What happens is coincidence. You get a shot, and two days later, you catch a cold from a coworker. You blame the needle. But the needle was just standing there, doing nothing. Side effects are usually mild, like soreness at the injection site for a day or two. It’s a small price to pay for peace of mind.

The flu is highly contagious. It travels through the air in droplets and respiratory secretions. The incubation period is short - one to four days. One person can infect a whole office before anyone realizes what’s happening. It’s invisible until it’s everywhere.

So the clock is ticking. The end of October is approaching. The virus is waking up. The question isn’t whether you’ll get the flu. The question is whether you’ll be ready for it. Or will you be waiting?