Why October is a good time for your flu shot

Plus: tend to your "fringeships," the case for taking off your headphones, and more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 05, 2026     Have you gotten your flu shot yet? If not, now is the time, my colleague Dominique Mosbergen wrote today: Flu season appears to have come early. Below, Dominique shares a shocking stat that just might convince you not to skip it this year. TODAY’S TOPICS Why “fringeships” matter Got a question for us? The best reason to get a flu shot The case for taking off your headphones in public         QUICK CHAT Treasure your “fringeships" There are friends. There are acquaintances. And then there’s the barista you chat with regularly at the coffee shop, or the parent you see every afternoon at school pickup. Social-relationships researcher Katherine Fiori has a name for these people: “fringeships.” You wouldn’t call them for a ride to the airport, but they might matter to your well-being more than you realize. Here’s a snippet from our recent conversation. —Angela Haupt, Editor, Health & Wellness This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Malte Mueller—Getty Images What exactly is a “fringeship”? It’s a type of weaker social tie that’s somewhere between an acquaintance and a close friend. Maybe it’s somebody you see at work every day or someone you regularly see in yoga class. You have a really good connection with them and look forward to seeing them, but they’re not necessarily part of your inner circle. So what separates a fringeship from a regular acquaintance? There’s some level of mutual recognition and genuine enjoyment. You see this person in a particular context, and they make you happy when you’re there. But you don't necessarily expect them to provide the kind of support you'd expect from someone very close to you. Why do these relationships matter? Social interactions are important for our health and well-being, and fringeships can give us some of that connection without requiring a huge investment of time or energy. You’re seeing the person somewhere you're already going, so you don't have to carve out an entirely separate part of your day for the relationship. Do fringeships become especially useful as we get older? They can. Older adults can have less time and energy to invest in relationships for all sorts of reasons, including health issues and medical appointments. A fringeship can be valuable because it doesn't demand a huge amount of either resource, but it still brings connection and enjoyment into your life.         SPONSORED Your K-Cups Sat in a Warehouse for Months Grocery store pods spend months going factory → warehouse → truck → shelf, losing the flavor oils that make coffee taste like coffee. Angelino's roasts, packs, and ships within days — 50+ flavors, compatible with Keurig®, from 39¢ a cup. New customers save 15%, no code needed. Try Fresh-Roasted Pods         PLEASE ADVISE Ask the health team Have a burning health or wellness question? Wondering how to handle a tricky social situation? Please write to healthmatters@time.com, and we’ll weigh in weekly in the newsletter.         SPONSORED 100+ coding prompts top engineers use to ship 5X faster Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor are on every engineer's stack. Most still treat them like a search bar. Top engineers work from a system, these 100+ prompts are that system. Sign up for The Code and get the prompts free, plus a 5-minute daily newsletter to keep sharpening your edge. Claim your free prompts         TODAY I LEARNED Flu shots prevent thousands of deaths every year bymuratdeniz—Getty Images Flu vaccination is “our best bet” at preventing hospitalization and serious complications from the flu in both adults and children, Dr. Ashlesha Kaushik, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, told me in an interview for my new piece for TIME. The CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented 10 million flu-related illnesses and 12,000 total flu-related deaths in the U.S. during the 2024–2025 flu season. —D.M.         SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.          WHAT WE’RE READING Meehika Barua stopped wearing headphones during her commute and started noticing her life again, she writes in TIME. Imagine having 10 minutes to decide whether to raise a grandchild. Patrick Butler at the Guardian meets kinship caregivers whose lives changed with almost no warning. Greg Iacurci at CNBC takes a look at why health insurance premiums are poised to jump in 2027.       More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe

Why America’s health care workforce is in crisis

Plus more health news  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Mandy Oaklander | October 04, 2026     You might have waited weeks or even months for a doctor’s appointment recently. We simply don’t have enough health care providers, and the problem is only getting worse, writes Michellene Davis, president and CEO of National Medical Fellowships, in her new essay for TIME. One solution: We must prevent financial barriers from determining who has the opportunity to become a health care leader, Davis writes. TODAY’S TOPICS Who cares for the carers? Got a question for us? In defense of human-generated awe         SUNDAY READ America’s health care workforce is in crisis By Michellene Davis tab1962—Getty Images Dr. Jonathan Tyes once struggled to imagine a future in medicine for himself. A first-generation college student and the oldest of 10 siblings, Tyes was raised by his grandparents in Cleveland. While studying biology at Morehouse College, he was a few credits from graduation when his grandmother died. Grief and financial hardship threatened to end both his education and his dream of becoming the first physician in his family.  Instead, he spent years rebuilding his path. He worked throughout school, served those in need as a community health worker, completed medical mission trips to Ghana, became a registered pharmacy technician, and refused to abandon his goal of practicing medicine. Eventually, as a non-traditional student in his mid-thirties, he got into medical school.  Though his family faced homelessness, gun violence, and other tribulations throughout his education, he stayed the course. Financial support from our organization, National Medical Fellowships (NMF), helped him remain enrolled and continue his training. Now, Tyes is an anesthesiology resident at the University of Buffalo, while at the same time pursuing a master of public health degree at Harvard. Read the full essay here.         SPONSORED Looking for the best way to reclaim your health? Factor offers chef-crafted, dietitian-approved meals ready to eat in 2 minutes. Choose from 100+ weekly meals, including High Protein, GLP-1 Support, Calorie Smart, and Keto options. Get 50% off your first Factor box + Free Breakfast for a year *1 free breakfast item per box for 1 year while subscription active. Try Factor Now         PLEASE ADVISE Ask the health team Have a burning health or wellness question? Wondering how to handle a tricky social situation? Please write to healthmatters@time.com, and we’ll weigh in weekly in the newsletter.         SPONSORED 1,000+ Claude Prompts Top Professionals Actually Use at Work Claude can be your analyst, editor, and strategist. But most professionals are using it to fix grammar. These 1,000+ Claude prompts take it from grammar tool to your most powerful AI work assistant. Sign up for Superhuman AI and get: 1,000+ ready-to-use Claude prompts to get real work done in minutes — researched, tested, and used by professionals at Google, Microsoft, and NASA Superhuman AI newsletter (4 min daily) so you keep learning new AI tools and skills to stay ahead in your career — the prompts are just the beginning Claim your free prompts         WHAT WE’RE READING In the age of AI, we shouldn’t lose sight of the value of human-generated awe, writes Arianna Huffington for TIME. Thousands of people in Berlin are “adopting” thirsty street trees with the help of an app. The Guardian explores how watering one tree became a surprisingly joyful form of community care. Some states are exploring single-payer, universal health care systems—and Oregon is the closest to enacting one, Markian Hawryluk writes for KFF Health News.          SPONSORED Is your company shaping the future? TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2027 entries are now open. Every year, TIME asks what it means for a company to be influential. Every year, the answer changes. With expanded recognition opportunities to celebrate influence across industries, impact initiatives, and, for the first time, workplace innovation, there are more ways than ever to stand out. Submit your company.        More Newsletters from Click to sign up. THE BRIEF +D.C. BRIEF +FUTURE PROOF +INSIDE TIME +IN THE LOOP +WORTH YOUR TIME + Subscribe to TIME Email us: healthmatters@time.com Received this from a friend? Sign up here Connect with TIME PRIVACY POLICY   © 2026 TIME USA, LLC. All rights reserved. TIME Customer Service, P.O. Box 37508 Boone, IA 50037-0508, United States Unsubscribe