Vaccination Before Holidays Lowers Illness Risk

Older adults, infants, and people with health conditions face greater risk, and UW Health offers vaccinations at its John Wall Drive Thru Clinic in Madison.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Asthma

Photograph of an empty white drive-through canopy over a paved two-lane apron under a cold overcast sky in a flat Midwestern landscape. — UW Health is urging residents to get vaccinated before holiday gatherings, as flu and other respiratory illnesses spread across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Do you plan to get a flu or respiratory vaccine before the holidays?

UW Health is encouraging people to get vaccinated before holiday gatherings as flu and other respiratory illnesses have begun across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Patients can get vaccinated at the John Wall Drive Thru Clinic in Madison.

Why it matters

Respiratory viruses are unpredictable, and vaccination is one of the safest and most effective tools to reduce the risk of severe illness and limit community spread. Older adults, infants, and people with underlying health conditions face greater risk, so timing vaccination ahead of crowded holiday gatherings matters for them.

This is a public health advisory from UW Health rather than a study, and it provides no quantified case counts or trial results. It rests on the general observation that respiratory viruses cause serious illness every year in healthy children and adults as well as higher-risk groups.

The players

UW Health

UW Health is the academic health system affiliated with the University of Wisconsin, providing patient care, vaccination services, and respiratory illness guidance across Wisconsin.

The details

Respiratory viruses such as influenza spread readily among people who gather indoors, and vaccination prompts the immune system to build protection before exposure. UW Health points to vaccination as the best way to lower the chance of severe illness and to slow spread within a community. Because the viruses are unpredictable, health officials recommend reviewing overall vaccination status rather than waiting for symptoms to appear.

Before holiday gatherings: UW Health encourages vaccination ahead of the upcoming holiday season.

Health Landscape

Annual seasonal vaccination advice for influenza is a standard part of fall public health messaging, and it aims to build protection before peak respiratory season. Local health systems like UW Health apply these recommendations to their own patients and communities.

Worth raising with your doctor is whether your vaccinations are up to date before holiday travel and gatherings. People with asthma or other underlying conditions should pay close attention, since respiratory infections can be more serious for them.

The takeaway

Vaccination is one of the most reliable ways to reduce the risk of severe respiratory illness during the holiday season. Ask your healthcare provider to review your vaccination status before gatherings begin.