Take a Shot
By Jonathan Bayuk, DO, AIANE
Published in Northampton Living | August 2026
As we wrap up the summer and prepare for fall, we talked with our favorite allergist Jonathan Bayuk about when to get vaccinated. Bayuk is the founder and president of Allergy & Immunology Associates of New England (AIANE), where he is accepting new patients in Northampton.
Northampton Living: So, is it too early to start thinking about getting vaccinated?
Dr. Bayuk: August is about the time people should start thinking about that. There is no reason not to get the flu shot, a Covid shot, and an RSV vaccination (if needed) in early September. Last year was the worst flu season in 25 years, and it was overwhelming for the healthcare system, which has already been decapitated by the current administration.
The new vaccine for Covid probably won’t be available until August or September. I’ve had 14 Covid vaccinations and every flu shot that’s ever been made. I’ve never had either.
Northampton Living: Can you talk about what made our last flu season so bad?
Dr. Bayuk: I’m not a fan of the health changes in the past couple years. The myth that vaccines are dangerous has been completely twisted. Vaccinations can cause injury, but any time you stimulate the immune system, there could be a [physical] overreaction. I take care of a lot of people who have vaccine injuries, and that should not discourage anyone from getting vaccinated.
[The argument for] not vaccinating people is political. It’s designed to divide us and it’s not medically real. So now that we have a resurgence of measles, and all kinds of different infections that were not an issue at all, and as our world population gets bigger and we travel more, the likelihood of getting more and more infections and another pandemic rises dramatically.
Northampton Living: So it was more dangerous because people were told not to take it seriously.
Dr. Bayuk: RFK Jr. cancelled the normal New York meeting of all flu experts, of which I’m one, who have the opportunity to participate in deciding what strains to expect based on worldwide data. Because the Southern Hemisphere is the opposite of ours, we can look at what’s going on and predict with better accuracy what’s coming our way. Last year that was delayed, and we got a vaccine that was not particularly effective. We got a version of the flu that was not expected, and that made people very sick.
Despite this, in April, [Defense Secretary] Pete Hegseth told troops that flu vaccines were no longer required because it would make them weaker. By June, when he reversed the policy, almost 300 troops had gotten very sick. This illustrates how dangerous decisions about public health should be left to science – not politicians.
So, get vaccinated early and then do it routinely. Every time you get a flu vaccine, your immune system develops a sleeping army. If you were to get sick, we have excellent treatments for early detection of the flu, and Covid to some degree, so I recommend home testing.
Northampton Living: What do you tell people afraid of getting vaccinated?
Dr. Bayuk: I tell the truth. My job as a physician is to help people with their health. “Doctor” means “teacher” in Latin.
Listen to Dr. Bayuk on the third Thursday of the month at 8 a.m. on Talk the Talk on WHMP.
Other Articles in This Issue…
