It’s wonderful to be back as MI Benefits Guy after parental leave. Although I officially returned on December 1, I’ll admit it was a bumpy reentry because our entire family got sick, and there wasn’t a time during December when one of us wasn’t sick in some way. I was the last one standing, finally getting sick myself, right around Christmas, along with our newborn son.
It turned out we had the flu. We took our new son to the pediatrician just to make sure he was doing okay, and that’s how we found out it was the flu—they tested him. We also got a stern reminder from our pediatrician. She asked if we had gotten our vaccine. We admitted that we had been busy with a new baby and life, so we hadn’t. She told us, more like scolded us, that our son most likely wouldn’t have gotten sick if we had been vaccinated.
We felt truly chastened. Everyone I tell this story to has a bit of an “ouch” reaction. I did too. At the same time, I can’t deny the truth of what she told us. Vaccines work because of herd immunity, and the more people who don’t get vaccinated, the less effective they become. It’s not enough to think, “I’m not going to get sick, just because I got my vaccine.” Vaccines are also about protecting others around us.
We have a responsibility to those who are more vulnerable than us, like children and the elderly. Our son isn’t old enough to get vaccinated, so the responsibility fell on us to protect him. This time, we failed. I can guarantee you that it won’t happen again.
So, MI Benefits Guy is reminding you that if you haven’t gotten vaccinated for these seasonal illnesses, January is still a good time. We have plenty of the illness season ahead of us, and almost all of us work with vulnerable populations. You can not only prevent yourself from getting sick but also help protect someone you love.
Last Updated on January 9, 2026