Flu Shot: It's That Time Again

With flu season around the corner, your health care providers, employers, pharmacists and others are sounding the annual reminder: "Get your annual flu shot." We encourage this for you — and for the people around you, too. We see evidence every year of the benefits of the flu vaccine, and we also see the risks of skipping it.

The flu vaccine has dramatic impacts on public health. However, since strains of the flu may vary from year to year, the vaccine must be received annually. Although the vaccine doesn't guarantee a flu-free winter and perfect health, medical research has convincingly shown that the flu shot reduces flu severity and reduces sick visits, hospitalizations and intensive care admissions. For infants and the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, the flu shot is essential protection against serious illness.

Although Massachusetts has historically ranked high in its overall immunization rates —  50 percent of all residents received vaccines in 2015-16 flu season — that percentage dropped from 55 percent the year before. The lowest rates of vaccination are in residents 18-49 — 40 percent for the 2015-16 season, but vaccine rates for all age groups (except young children) dropped slightly as well.

Some people have medical reasons for being unable to have the shot, but others go without by choice. Why? They may feel confident in their own good health and their body's ability to ward off illness. They may be skeptical about vaccines in general. However, skipping the flu vaccine means taking an unnecessary risk – for yourself and others whom you care for or work with, or who may be more vulnerable than you to illness.

Here's what we know about the flu vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):

* During flu seasons when the vaccine is well-matched with flu strains that are circulating, the vaccine is shown to reduce the need for flu-related medical visits by 30 to 60 percent.

* During the 2016-17 flu season, the vaccine prevented an estimated 5.3 million flu illnesses, 2.6 million medical visits for the flu and 85,000 flu-related hospitalizations.

* The vaccine reduces the severity of flu symptoms for those who may get sick, and reduces hospital-based Intensive Care Unit admissions related to the flu.

* The flu vaccine is a preventive measure for people with other chronic illnesses, such as cardiac, diabetes and lung diseases.

* Children and pregnant women are especially susceptible to complications from the flu. The vaccine has repeatedly reduced the risk of flu-related deaths among children by 50 percent.

In addition, if you are exposed to someone else who has the flu virus, you may not get sick, but you can pass on the virus to others. Do you have a young child? Do you care for an elderly relative or a chronically sick friend? Are you a teacher or a health care provider?

It is true that flu vaccines are not foolproof. Flu strains may differ from year to year and efforts to keep up with its changing characteristics are not 100 percent effective.

Some myths and misinformation are "out there" — even one claiming that the flu shot causes the flu. This is unequivocally false. In fact, flu vaccines are "inactivated," which means they contain no actual influenza (flu) virus at all. If someone falls ill after getting a flu shot, there are several explanations:

* The flu shot takes about two weeks to take full protective effect. A person can get the flu during this period.

* If someone was exposed to the flu just prior to getting the flu shot, he or she might coincidentally get sick around the time of a vaccine.

* Just because someone gets sick, does not mean that influenza ("the flu") is the culprit. There are many other non-flu illnesses that can be contracted. This is the time of year for increased respiratory illnesses and pneumonia.

* There are some outlying strains of the flu not covered by the typical flu shot. Unfortunately it is possible to contract one of these non-vaccine containing flu strains.

To protect your health and those around you – loved ones, friends, co-workers – please take the preventive step of getting your flu shot this season. You could save a life by doing so – and reduce your own risk of contracting the miserable and dangerous flu virus.

Dr. Everett Lamm is the chief medical officer of Community Health Programs.

Berkshire Market Continues to Defy Broad Headlines

By Sandy CarrollGuest Column
02:59PM / Friday, July 24, 2026

The good news — residential sales rose countywide 7 percent, dollar volume rose 14 percent. 

If there's one takeaway from our full 2026 Q2 Market Watch Report, it's this: all real estate is local.

National economists can provide context, but they rarely tell the full story of what's happening here in Berkshire County. In fact, this year's numbers reinforce just how important it is to look beyond countywide trends and into individual communities.

After a slower first quarter, the market found its footing. Through the first six months of 2026, residential home sales increased 8 percent while dollar volume climbed an impressive 14 percent, reaching nearly $257 million in closed sales. Median sale prices also continued their steady upward trend, reaching $360,000 countywide.

The strength of the market, however, wasn't evenly distributed.

Middle and South Berkshire led the way with gains in both sales and dollar volume, while North Berkshire experienced a modest decline in residential activity overall. Yet even within those regions, individual towns told very different stories. Some communities experienced significant growth while neighboring towns slowed considerably — another reminder that real estate decisions should always be based on local market knowledge rather than broad assumptions.

 As our inventory levels shift, and in some months our absorption rates look to be heading toward a more balanced market, it is important to look at the price ranges where listings are selling, versus where we have a lot of inventory. The steady pace of the second quarter has created a very hectic market in the field, with agents running non-stop to manage their client demands. With a slightly lower pending sales rate heading into the third quarter but still a frenetic pace in the market, it's hard to project what the third quarter will bring.  It's also important to dig into town trends, as that is definitely an interesting and varied part of the market that this generalized data doesn't easily reveal.

Outside the single-family market, conditions remain mixed. 

Condominium and multifamily sales softened compared to last year, commercial sales remained modest, while land sales showed encouraging improvement after several challenging years. Mobile homes also continued to provide an important affordable housing option and posted solid gains during the first half of the year.

 

Perhaps one of the most encouraging trends is inventory. While still well below historical norms, available housing continues to improve gradually. Berkshire County remains a seller's market, but additional listings are creating more opportunities for buyers than we've seen in recent years.

Nationally, economists expect housing activity to strengthen during the second half of 2026 as inventory grows and mortgage rates stabilize. Whether those forecasts fully materialize remains to be seen, but locally we've already witnessed how quickly market conditions can change from one quarter to the next.

As always, this summary only scratches the surface. Our complete Market Watch includes town-by-town statistics, historical trends, appreciation data, and detailed reports for every major property type. Whether you're buying, selling, investing, or simply keeping an eye on the market, those local details often tell the most important story.

Full PDF Editions: 2026 Q2 Market Watch Report

Sandy Carroll is CEO of the Berkshire County Board of Realtors.