10 October 2026
Last night I decided I was going to walk this morning, but this morning didn’t agree, and conflict set in. Saturday is not usually a walk day, but I didn’t walk yesterday because we went and got our annual flu and COVID vaccines. When you’re older, you keep up with such things.
I recall that when I was younger and still in the Army, I didn’t keep up with the annual flu shot at all — but the Army did. They scheduled flu shots every year, an event that found us in line, marching toward the needle, and they checked off our names after we got the shot. They classified such events as “protecting the force.” We worked and lived in close proximity, and it’s not cool when whole units start getting sick.
Interestingly, in 2023 the requirement that service members be vaccinated against COVID‑19 was lifted. Afterwards, clusters of respiratory illnesses were reported in some military units, occasionally lowering readiness. This was largely the result of many service members choosing not to be vaccinated once it became voluntary. It will be interesting to see how the military fares in this regard in the coming winter.
That said, commanders still encourage service members to be vaccinated and make the vaccine available for those who want protection. Also, strong antiviral medications exist now that didn’t during the early COVID‑19 pandemic. They don’t “cure” COVID outright, but they can significantly reduce the severity of illness when started early.
Still, it’s best to be protected and not get it at all.
“Vaccines are the cornerstone of modern medicine.” — Public health perspective
“Vaccines have saved millions of lives throughout history.” — Historical immunization perspective
“The science of prevention is the science of survival.” — Vaccine quote collection
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