With high temperatures back in the 80s and 90s, it doesn’t feel like fall in Iowa yet, but cooler weather will be here soon enough and health experts remind Iowans that now is the time to consider getting a flu shot.
Jon Crosbie is a family physician at the Des Moines University Clinic. He says the shot will protect even people who are in low-risk categories from getting seriously ill, as well as others nearby.
“If you get the flu shot, there’s less chance that you will pass it on to somebody who is not quite so lucky as you and is not young and healthy,” Crosbie says. “Good herd immunity doesn’t just protect you; it protects everybody around you.”
Crosbie says Iowans don’t need to wait for cold weather to arrive to get a flu shot, as most pharmacies and clinics are already offering them, and they’re free in many locations. He says everyone who is eligible should consider getting it.
“Even if you’re in a low-risk category, the flu can still put you in the hospital,” Crosbie says. “People always seem to think that the flu is like just a really bad cold, and when you get the flu, you know all about it. It’s a tough, tough illness.”
According to state data, 63 percent of Iowans got a flu shot last season. The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reported at least 116 influenza-related deaths statewide by mid-February of 2026.
(By Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)