It's Never Too Late to Get Your Flu Shot

 

The Ca-Choo - Flu Begone News   

Capitol Hill City Edition – Winter 2026

Real Flu News for Real Fluish People   –   All the News That’s Fit to Sneeze At

Free – But Worth Every Penny – Published by Howard Steel Armistead, IAS,  CloserToaCure.com

Circulation – One Ream

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It’s Never Too Late to Get Your Flu Shot

            According to the New York Times and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota, the 2026 winter flu season is the worst in 25 years. As a state reporting among the top fifteen influenza infection rates, Virginia is in the bullseye of this annually recurring pandemic.

            The current strain of the H3N2 influenza-A in circulation is the subclade-K variant. Subclade-K emerged in Darwin, Australia in October 2025, so current flu vaccines do not include it. Flu vaccines usually include three different strains of the virus, but subclade-K emerged after the current shot was formulated so it was not covered. However, experts suggest it is still advisable to get the jab. It will provide some protection because older variants of H3N2 and H1N1 are covered by the vaccine and 10% of the flu in circulation is non-K-variant. An annual flu shot is always recommended, especially for those over 60 or who have chronic disease or are immunocompromised.

            Flu vaccines are never 100% effective in preventing infection. According to the scientific literature, flu shots are between 40% and 60% effective in reducing the chance of infection, but 85% to 97% effective in preventing hospitalization and death. However, it takes up to two weeks for the vaccine to become fully effective.    

            The usual case mortality rate for influenza is between one and two deaths per thousand. That affects mostly those over age 70 but includes people with co-morbidities, especially lung or cardiac disease, cancer, or infants.

            Although the current K-variant is much more highly contagious than the average seasonal flu, it is no more fatal than usual. But because many more people will be infected, expect more hospitalizations and deaths this flu season. Last week more than 39,000 were hospitalized nationwide. The high prevalence of the H3N2 K-subclade in humans and H5N1 in birds worldwide increases the possibly of reassortment with H5N1 to trigger a truly deadly pandemic.

            Influenza is highly contagious. Well over 95% of infections are transmitted through the air, but hand-to-hand transmission is not uncommon. Thus, it might be wise to keep a bottle of hand sanitizer handy, wash hands often, or switch to the fist bump position. Far less than 1% of flu is transmitted by fomites lurking on doorknobs or handrails.

            Like the highly contagious Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that lead to a record number of Covid-19 related deaths in Virginia in February 2022 – over 2,400 - the H3N2-K variant is unusually contagious. If a person wants or needs to be extra cautious, don a mask. Wearing a mask yourself is about 40% protective. When two people wear masks – one infected and the other not – then masks are about 85% protective. But if you have the stay home. Do not go to work or school. Wear a mask in public. Do not shake hands. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

            Some people correctly believe the more protective mechanisms they adopt the better, especially considering the additional threat of fibrosis and increased risk of heart attack. Thus, if you really want to raise your level of flu protection you should consider taking a broad-spectrum antiviral medication to help prevent infection.

            Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs are not yet recognized as a drug category by the medical community although they are by some in the scientific community. They exist. So why don’t we use them accordingly? Lack of knowledge.    

            Broad-spectrum antiviral drugs include any drug or medication that inhibits the primary stimulant to the replication of most viruses, the human protein nuclear-factor kappaB (NF-kB). KF-kB is the primary stimulant to both inflammation and viral replication. That dual action is why most anti-inflammatory drugs also work as broad-spectrum anti-viral drugs. Although taking an NF-kB inhibitor (NF-kBI), including most NSAID drugs, may help prevent a viral infection from taking hold, they can also contribute to fighting a flu infection if one develops. But some NSAID anti-inflammatories are more preferable than others for prophylaxis. The nutritional supplement and NF-kBI selenium is well recognized as helping to prevent flu, but a daily aspirin tablet should also help. Because both selenium and low-dose aspirin are recognized as helping to prevent heart attack and stroke, it makes sense for seniors to kill two birds with two stones by taking both an aspirin a day and a selenium tablet daily to help prevent heart attack, stroke, and flu. One 200mcg selenium tablet daily can help prevent colds and the flu, but two tablets a day might be better to help treat them. But speak to your doctor first. Most physicians are familiar with some of the health benefits of selenium.

Aspirin is widely known as “the miracle drug”. Selenium is known to scientists as “the miracle mineral”. Selenium supplements have no adverse side effects and they are not contraindicated to any other drug. A daily aspirin dose should be between 80mg and 325mg. No more. Higher doses of aspirin may negate the beneficial effect in preventing platelet activation and aggregation. Unless it is personally contraindicated, use acetaminophen/Tylenol to reduce fever. Although the science regarding Reyes is not confirmed, it is best not to give aspirin to preteen children.  

What will your physician recommend if you come down with the flu? The standard recommended therapy is Tamiflu or Zofluza. While those antivirals are effective in the short term, they are limited because influenza develops resistant to each of them quickly – after five days. If you are choosy enough not to be infected by a resistant virus, those drugs will work for you. Otherwise, they won’t. That is why influenza scientists universally decry the lack of additional therapeutic interventions that will be needed to protect the nation from a much more deadly strain of flu as occurred in 1918 when the mortality rate was 2%. The H5N1 avian flu is currently circulating worldwide devastating bird and selected mammal populations but it has not yet breached the species barrier to become transmissible between humans. Once H5N1 eventually jumps that barrier, the mortality rate could range from 1% as with SARS-2/Covid-19, 2% as with the 1918 Spanish flu, 10% as with SARS-1 in 2002 - or far higher as it has done in the bird and mammal populations it has infected to date. If that happens Tamiflu will soon become useless due to the virus quickly developing resistance.

Luckily, scientists have discovered that another well-known NSAID, naproxen/Aleve, is better than any other antiviral in inhibiting, even fully blocking flu replication. (N. Lejal, 2013) That is because the naproxen molecule fits so snuggly into the viral groove, blocking replication. That means it should be the most effective of all anti-flu medications. Naproxen is effective against all strains of influenza because the viral grove is well conserved. Unlike with Tamiflu or other specific anti-flu drugs, influenza will not develop resistant to Aleve. Naproxen is also an NF-kB inhibitor and thus works against other respiratory viruses as well. However, its powerful effect against all strains of influenza is unique.

The high level of seasonal H3N2 flu is joined this year by a high level of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) that primarily affects children, and the low level of the more deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus, not to mention the common cold that can be caused by rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and heritage corona viruses. Because they are broad-spectrum antivirals and inhibit a human protein instead of a viral enzyme, low-dose aspirin, selenium and naproxen all can be used to treat these respiratory viral infections. But aspirin and selenium are preferable for preventative prophylaxis because naproxen is too strong for continuous prophylactic use – six times stronger than aspirin.           

Standard flu drugs like Tamiflu or Zofluza require a doctor’s prescription, but flu viral replication peaks on day three and rapidly declines. Influenza comes on suddenly and strongly. If a person cannot see a physician immediately, it is important to take some safe and effective medication as soon as symptoms like high fever, fatigue, body aches and sore throat develop. It is reasonable to self-medicate with one aspirin, one or two selenium, plus a full dose of naproxen. Add Tamiflu/Zofluza once you finally fill your doctor’s prescription. Physicians know, early therapy is the best therapy. Don’t think you are smart by delaying treating your flu and risk both fibrosis and an increased risk of heart attack.  

Covid-19 infection caused fibrosis in the lungs and the heart. That fibrosis cut down on a person’s lifetime lung capacity and increased the risk of heart attack for at least three years. The worse the Covid infection, the worse the resulting fibrosis. Recently scientists announced that influenza infection also could increase the risk of heart attack for two years. That is an excellent reason not to skip your annual flu shot and to use selenium and aspirin as prophylactic therapy to help prevent flu infection, and naproxen if one does catch the flu. Plus, whatever your doctor orders.  01/11/26    

 

            Howard Armistead was an advisor to the Ministry of Health of Zambia in 2006 on selenium and HIV and H5N1 avian influenza, and to the Ministry of Health of Liberia on Ebola virus disease (EVD) in 2014. His 48-page medical essay on H5N1 influenza including 145 references, and many other health research essays are found at CloserToaCure.com