The heightened concern over co-infections is emerging as winter brings peak seasons for the flu, RSV and Covid-19.
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South Africa’s winter has barely settled in, yet clinics are already seeing the signs of what experts are calling a more dangerous-than-usual flu season.
This year, influenza isn’t arriving alone; it’s colliding with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), creating a perfect storm of respiratory illness that doctors say makes delaying your flu vaccine in 2026 a real gamble.
In everyday terms, more people are falling ill more quickly, and hospitals are feeling the strain sooner.
“This isn’t a typical flu season where you have time to wait and see,” Dr Jessica Hamuy Blanco explained to "Independent Media Lifestyle". “With both flu and RSV circulating earlier and simultaneously, the window to build protection before exposure is much smaller.”
Here are five critical reasons health professionals say you shouldn’t delay your flu vaccine this winter.
Vaccination significantly lowers the risk of encountering multiple viruses, helping your immune system to fend off illness.
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Winter brings not only the flu but also peaks in RSV and Covid-19. Studies show that getting the flu along with another respiratory virus can lead to more serious complications, like pneumonia and needing intensive care.
Getting vaccinated lowers your risk of catching multiple viruses at once, so your immune system is better able to protect you.
One of the biggest misconceptions about flu vaccination is that protection happens instantly. It doesn’t.
It takes about two weeks after vaccination for the body to build adequate immunity. With vaccines only becoming widely available in April and infections already circulating, every delay increases the likelihood of exposure before protection takes effect.
What makes this season different is that people are being asked to decide while the risk is already present, explains Dr Hamuy Blanco. Vaccination this year is about reducing the severity of illness and avoiding complications in an already active season.
In short, waiting even a few weeks could leave you vulnerable when you need protection most.
With flu and RSV spreading simultaneously, the typical cushion period that South Africans rely on before winter peaks is shrinking fast.
Waiting to see "how sick people get" is risky when the dominant strain is one that historically causes more complications and severe symptoms in otherwise healthy adults.
Because once infection rates climb, the chance to get ahead of illness disappears, and vaccination becomes damage control instead of prevention.
Too many people still treat the flu like a minor inconvenience, something you “just push through". But medical data consistently show that influenza can lead to serious complications, hospitalisation, and even death, particularly among vulnerable groups.
These include:
“These groups should not delay,” says Lizeth Kruger, Dis-Chem clinic executive. “Even at this stage, vaccination can significantly reduce the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation.”
Kruger notes that persistent myths, especially among new and expectant mothers, continue to drive hesitation.
“It’s important to understand that flu vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding offers dual protection and not only safeguards the mother against flu-related complications but also passes essential antibodies to the baby, both in the womb and through breast milk.”
For many parents, that’s not just prevention; it’s protection across generations.
Vaccination isn't just about you; it's about community immunity. Winter involves more indoor gatherings and holiday travel, which are "super-spreader" environments.
Science shows that healthy adults act as vectors. By delaying your vaccine, you increase the likelihood of passing the virus to vulnerable populations such as infants under 6 months (who cannot be vaccinated), and the elderly, before you even realise you're symptomatic.
Another question circulating this year is why the 2026 seasonal flu vaccine covers three strains instead of four, and whether that makes it less effective.
According to the NICD, seasonal vaccines are updated annually using global surveillance data to target the most likely circulating strains. For 2026, the vaccine protects against:
“The number of strains included in the vaccine can vary from year to year based on global surveillance data,” says Blanco. “What’s important is that the vaccine is designed to match the strains expected to have the greatest impact during the season.”