Vaccines help keep our communities healthy

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health experts are reporting an early start to this year’s flu season. That means getting your flu vaccine as soon as possible can help offer protection for you and your family and friends.

Vaccines are available for several respiratory illnesses, including influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, the respiratory syncytial virus and whooping cough.

As we start to celebrate the upcoming holidays and spend more time indoors, respiratory viruses spread quickly. Keeping up to date on vaccinations protects not only you from serious illness but also is a responsibility we all share to help protect our neighbors, teachers and communities.

The Illinois Department of Public Health released its new immunization guidance for children and adults heading into the fall respiratory virus season and the school year. Reviewed and approved by 20 highly qualified medical experts on the Illinois Immunization Advisory Committee, this science- and fact-based guideline is our best protection against influenza and other respiratory viruses.

Recent outbreaks remind us why these protections matter. In the last few years, we have seen high numbers of cases of whooping cough and a national resurgence in measles.

These dangerous, and completely preventable, illnesses serve as a reminder of the importance of proper vaccinations to protect the health of our families and children. And vaccines do more than protect the person receiving them. They also help protect the people with whom we have close interactions — including infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems or who are vulnerable to serious illness.

Here’s to a safe and healthy holiday season ahead.

Rob Anderson, Naperville