We live in a post-truth society now, and nowhere is that more impactful than in the funhouse mirror world of the  US Department of Health and Human Services, where Tylenol causes autism, vaccines cause autism, and talking back to your husband causes autism. Reading this article probably causes autism. 

It’s made it especially hard to figure out the who, what, where, and why of our annual vaccinations. But the good news is, in Washington, all of our necessary shots are still widely available. For most of you, getting poked protects you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors. All for the low, low price of a sore arm. 

COVID: The official guidance around this vaccine has been deeply confusing and at odds with the science for months. First, the HHS only recommended the updated shot for people over 65 or for those at high risk for hospitalization with the virus—which often required a referral from a doctor. Then Washington, Oregon, and California banded together to create the West Coast Justice League, I mean Health Alliance, and promised that patients wouldn’t have to get a doctor’s note to get the COVID vaccine. And then, Washington State established a program to provide free vaccines to uninsured Washingtonians, but the updated shot wasn’t available for weeks after the announcement. Finally, in October, the CDC tucked its tail and signed off on the newest vaccine.

All of it might make you want to throw your hands up and skip the shot this year. Don’t do it. They’re readily available at most pharmacies now. And if you got COVID during the August spike we had, November is the perfect time to reup your immunity.

Mpox: The oozy, blistery virus is back, and by all accounts, you don’t want to mess with it. Health experts told The Stranger that young people who are sexually active now likely didn’t get the shot during the outbreak three years ago, because they weren’t having sex yet. Losers. So if you’re new to cumming with an audience, or if you didn’t get the shot the first time around, now’s the time. This one isn’t always a walk-into-the-pharmacy situation, but your healthcare provider probably offers the vaccine. If you don’t have insurance or if your insurance doesn’t cover the full cost, you can get vaccinated for free at the county’s Sexual Health Clinic at Harborview, and you have access to the shot regardless of immigration or documentation status. 

The Flu: If I had a dollar for everyone I’ve heard complain about the flu vaccine—that it makes them feel crummy, that they still got the flu after getting the shot—well, I’d have a few bucks. And one of them would be because I myself have been griping about those very things for years. But we’re missing the point. Yes, it reduces your chance of infection. And yes, it reduces your chance of hospitalization. But most importantly, the more people who get the shot, the less likely it is to spread through the population, and the less likely vulnerable people are to be exposed to it.