Every fall, the same thing happens in households across the country: one person gets sick and within a week, everyone else is reaching for tissues, too. 

Getting ahead of cold and flu season doesn't require anything complicated—just a little planning. This checklist walks through the six things worth doing now, whether you're managing a house full of kids, caring for aging parents, or both.

Key takeaways:

• Everyone 6 months and older should be vaccinated against the flu by the end of October—with some important exceptions: children getting their first-ever flu vaccine, pregnant women, and adults 65+ have different timing and formulation considerations.

• A stocked medicine cabinet and a designated "sick space" can help make being sick more manageable, and limit its spread to other family members. 

• Everyday hygiene is key to limiting spread. Think handwashing, surface disinfecting, and separate linens.

• Have a plan before anyone gets sick. Know your children’s school policies, how sick leave works at work, and who to call for medical care to reduce scrambling later on. 

 

 

What should be on your family's cold and flu season checklist?

1. Get your flu shot (this year and every year). 

The FDA updated all three virus components of the 2026-2027 flu vaccines, including a change aimed at the H3N2 subclade K virus that circulated widely in 2025-2026. Because the strains shift most years, you should get your flu shot every year. (There is no vaccine for “the common cold,” which is caused by a lot of viruses with a lot of variants.) 

September and October are generally the best window for most people who need only one dose, with everyone ideally vaccinated by the end of October. That said, a few groups have different timing:

• Kids getting their first-ever flu vaccine: Children who need two doses should get the first one as soon as the vaccine is available, since the second dose has to follow at least four weeks later. Waiting until October can push full protection into November, which you want to avoid.

• Adults that are 65+: People over 65 are eligible for high-dose or adjuvanted vaccines, which are designed to produce a stronger immune response than the standard shot.

• Pregnant women: Talk to your doctor about getting vaccinated in July or August, since it helps extend some protection to the newborn during the months before the baby is old enough to be vaccinated.

• Adults that are 50+: Ask your doctor about mFLUSIVA, the first mRNA flu vaccine approved for adults 50 and older.

Don’t forget to build in some lag time: it takes up to two weeks after vaccination to build full immunity, so getting everyone vaccinated well before flu activity picks up in your area matters more than the exact calendar date.

2. Build your "cold-and-flu-ready" medicine cabinet.

A little preparation makes it much easier to manage symptoms as soon as they start, especially for people who might delay a store run once they're already not feeling well. Here’s a good list of basics to have on hand for the whole household:

• Thermometer, tissues, and hand sanitizer.

• Fever and pain relievers appropriate for each family member's age. Have both acetaminophen and ibuprofen handy so you have options for fever and pain relief.

• Cough and cold remedies: suppressants, expectorants, decongestants, and throat lozenges.

• EPA-registered disinfecting wipes or spray that are rated effective against influenza.

• A humidifier or HEPA filter for your designated “sick space”

• Comfort items—warm blankets, electrolyte drinks, and your favorite soup or snacks.

3. Protect the highest-risk people in your household.

Children under 5—especially those under 6 months—adults 65 and older, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, people living in long-term care facilities, and anyone with a chronic condition like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes face a higher risk of complications from the flu. Here’s how you can protect them:

• Everyone in the household who can get vaccinated should, creating a buffer of protection around them.

• Confirm care facilities’ vaccination and visitor-illness policies, since residents are considered high risk by default.

• Loop in everyone’s doctor about timing and vaccine type before cold and flu season ramps up, rather than after symptoms start.

4. Flu-proof your home environment.

Here are a few practical habits to embrace as household norms before anyone gets sick:

• Regularly disinfect high-touch areas like doorknobs, light switches, countertops, remote controls, and faucet handles, using an EPA List N product proven effective against flu.

• Teach kids to cough or sneeze into an elbow rather than hands, and to wash up right after.

• Keep everyone's toothbrushes, cups, and utensils separate as a baseline habit, not just when someone's already sick.

• Add HEPA filters or air purifiers to common rooms to help limit airborne germs, particularly in smaller or less-ventilated spaces.

5. Make a plan for when someone gets sick.

However careful a household is, cold and flu often gets through, anyway. Flu germs can spread before symptoms even appear, and can be passed to others for up to a week after first getting sick. 

• Set up a “sick space.” If two bathrooms are available, assigning one to whoever's sick can help keep flu from spreading through the rest of the household, though this isn't always practical with young kids.

• Separate linens and laundry. Household members should avoid sharing towels, sheets, and blankets unless they've been cleaned between uses, and dishes should be washed thoroughly in hot water either way.

• Know the logistics ahead of time. Knowing a child's school or daycare illness policy in advance—along with your own workplace's sick leave process—removes one more thing to figure out once someone's actually not feeling well.

• Know when it's more than "just the flu." Most cases resolve with rest, fluids, and over-the-counter care, but high fever, trouble breathing, chest pain, or signs of dehydration warrant a call to a doctor rather than waiting it out—especially for anyone in a higher-risk group.

6. Enroll your family in Sollis Health.

From avoiding and preventing colds, flu, and other respiratory conditions, to treating symptoms, our ER-trained clinical teams are on call when your primary care doctor isn’t available. When you’re a Sollis member, you have 24/7 access to:

• Unlimited in-person visits at 14 centers and on-demand virtual care

• Included flu vaccines on your schedule, with same-day appointments

• Rapid on-site antigen and PCR testing in as few as 15 minutes*

• House calls for an additional fee for vaccines, point-of-care testing, and treatment for cold, flu, and other illnesses

• Clinically-indicated IV fluids and medications for dehydration or nausea  

• Expedited access to medications like Xofluza and Tamiflu

• First-time prescriptions and medication refills 

• Care navigation and patient advocacy if you need to be hospitalized

• Aftercare and follow-up to make sure you’re feeling better

 

 

*For Sollis members, rapid antigen testing is complimentary and rapid PCR testing is available for an additional fee. 

Sources: CDC (2026-2027 Flu Season; Who Needs a Flu Vaccine), Mayo Clinic (Flu Shot: Your Best Bet for Avoiding Influenza; High-Dose Flu Vaccines Q&A), Healthline (7 Ways to Flu-Proof Your Home), University of Rochester Medicine, Banner Health, American Red Cross.