State health officials raised an unsettling — if possibly unlikely — scenario during a news conference this week: getting COVID-19 and the seasonal flu at the same time.Although little is known about how a co-infection would work, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center’s interim chief of infectious diseases said the possibility of having both illnesses simultaneously is possible. Unfortunately, outside of practicing social distancing, wearing a mask and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggestions, there’s little one can do but wait for a vaccine for COVID-19.

As for the other, the time to do something to protect yourself and those around you is now. Flu season is underway, which means you can get a flu shot from your doctor, local pharmacy or other places in your community.

We’re hoping the state doesn’t emulate last year’s flu season — during which Pennsylvania was one of 23 states with levels designated as widespread outbreaks. Last year’s flu season was one of the worst in years.

State health officials said for the cases in which the flu shot doesn’t prevent someone from getting sick, it still decreases the severity of one’s illness. This could make a difference should a person get the flu and then later catch COVID-19.

It’s understandable that not everyone can get a flu shot. Pregnant women and children with extreme allergic reactions to the vaccine are among those who cannot.

But those who aren’t sure whether they’ll get the vaccine — or whether they intend for their children to get it — should educate themselves about the risks of not doing so.

Despite social distancing efforts, schools often have close quarters where germs spread quickly. While it’s likely teachers are insisting that students wash their hands more often due to COVID-19, children are among the two groups most at-risk during flu season. The other group is seniors.

During the COVID-19 era, a constant point of emphasis has been that one’s actions can adversely affect others — you wear a mask or social distance not only to protect yourself, but also others.

The same can be said for flu shots. Whether one decides to get one is a personal decision, but children can’t make their own decisions, instead relying on their parents to make decisions for them.

“Getting a flu vaccine is the best way to protect yourself from the flu — it’ll also protect your families, your friends, your coworkers and your community,” Sarah Boateng, the health department’s executive deputy secretary, said during Tuesday’s news conference.

Those are all good incentives.

— NCD