Influenza is often underestimated, but it can cause serious illness, hospitalization, and death—especially among older adults, young children, pregnant people, individuals with chronic medical conditions, and communities facing limited access to healthcare and other social supports.

In this episode of Health In Harlem on WHCR 90.3 FM, Dr. Maurice Selby and Reid Vero explain how influenza viruses spread, what makes some strains more contagious or severe, and how scientists anticipate which viruses may dominate the upcoming season. The discussion examines the global surveillance data used to formulate annual flu vaccines—not simply what circulated during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter—and reviews traditional flu shots, nasal-spray and enhanced vaccines, and the newly available mRNA influenza vaccine.

Listeners will also learn what flu vaccines can and cannot do, how vaccination reduces the risks of infection, severe illness, hospitalization, and death, and what additional steps families can take to limit transmission. The episode offers practical, evidence-based guidance to help individuals and communities prepare for the 2026–2027 influenza season.

Reliable influenza information

• Infectious Diseases Society of America: Influenza Resource Center

• IDSA: Influenza Diagnosis and Treatment Guidelines

• New England Journal of Medicine: An Early Look at mRNA Vaccines to Prevent Influenza

• New England Journal of Medicine: Evidence Update on Influenza and Other Respiratory Vaccines

• Your Local Epidemiologist

• Those Nerdy Girls: Flu-Vaccine Reminder

• Those Nerdy Girls: Infectious-Disease Resources

• CDC: Influenza and the Current Flu Season

• CDC: Seasonal Flu Vaccine Information

• World Health Organization: Seasonal Influenza

Health In Harlem and WHCR

• Health In Harlem on WHCR 90.3 FM

• WHCR 90.3 FM—The Voice of Harlem

• The Health In Harlem Podcast

• Health In Harlem on Apple Podcasts

This program is intended for education and does not replace individualized medical advice, diagnosis, vaccination guidance, or treatment from a qualified healthcare professional.