MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - It’s that time of year again — the familiar mix of cooler mornings, football weekends, and the start of respiratory‑virus season. COVID‑19 and flu vaccinations are now available through your physician or at area drugstores.
WGNS spoke with Dr. Shannon Beckman at Beckman's Pharmacy, who says this is the ideal window to get protected...
Right now, the overall outlook for our region is moderate, very similar to last year. It’s still early, and these seasons can change quickly, but the latest CDC data paints a steady picture.
On the COVID‑19 front, Tennessee is in a relatively favorable spot. For the week ending September 26, the state recorded 0.7 new hospital admissions per 100,000 residents, a low rate and below the national average. Even better, the CDC’s reproductive number — the Rt — sits at 0.99, meaning transmission is basically flat. National modeling suggests the winter peak will look a lot like previous years unless a highly immune‑evasive variant appears. That’s the wildcard every season.
Flu activity, meanwhile, is still very low across Tennessee and the country. That’s normal for late September; flu typically doesn’t surge until December through February. The CDC reports no signs that this year’s flu season will be more severe than usual. And there’s encouraging news on the vaccine front: the 2026–2027 flu shot has been updated to better match the H3N2 strain that circulated widely last season.
So what does all this mean for Middle Tennessee? For now, the season appears moderate, not dramatically worse than last year. The two big unknowns are whether COVID throws us a new variant and how flu behaves once winter settles in.
Doctors say the most important step you can take right now is simple: get your updated flu shot, especially if you haven’t yet. October is considered the sweet spot for building protection before flu activity ramps up.
And as Dr. Beckman reminds us, vaccines remain one of the strongest tools we have to keep families healthy as the colder months approach.