NFL spat could have helpful health spillover

Opinion editor's note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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While the Minnesota Vikings' loss to Kansas City on Sunday still smarts, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce nevertheless merits praise for setting a timely, responsible example: getting both the annual flu shot and the new COVID-19 booster.

Kelce, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, seems to be everywhere these days. He appears to be dating pop music megastar Taylor Swift. He's been a Hy-Vee grocery pitchman along with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

He's also starring in a Pfizer commercial for the COVID-19 booster with an important, potentially lifesaving message. You can get the flu and COVID shots at the same time, during the same clinic or pharmacy visit. This timesaving "twofer" could help more of us have the protection necessary to evade a downfield tackle by the potentially dangerous pair of viruses.

A smiling Kelce is pictured at the ad's end with two Band-Aids on his arm, making a vital point at just the right moment. The winter respiratory illness season will ramp up soon. Fall is when medical providers typically recommend getting the flu shot so that the immune system is primed and ready for the virus's pass rush.

This year, an updated COVID booster also just became available. It targets new COVID variants, strengthening the body's defense as colder weather sends more of us inside, creating conditions that heighten transmission risk.

In September, federal health officials recommended the updated COVID booster for everyone six months of age and older. The updated vaccine continues "to be the best way to protect yourself against severe disease," according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The public health agency adds that the benefits of vaccination continue to outweigh any potential risks and that serious side effects are rare and eclipsed by a COVID infection's risk.

Kelce is paid for partnering with Pfizer. But it still takes courage to advocate for the COVID booster and public health. Harmful vaccine conspiracies abound and are unfortunately embraced by those who should know better.

The trash talk from another NFL player was almost inevitable. Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, now with the New York Jets, recently weighed in, calling Kelce "Mr. Pfizer."

In response, Kelce could have easily pointed out the dubious value of any health advice from Rodgers. The Jets quarterback has acknowledged previously using ayahuasca, a psychedelic, and treating COVID with ivermectin, a deworming medication found ineffective against the virus in multiple studies.

To his credit, Kelce responded by shrugging off the criticism, noting simply that he gets vaccinated for the safety of himself, his family and football fans and staff. This is what responsible, mature leadership looks like. In the aftermath, Rodgers' comments come across as ill-informed and attention-seeking.

The headline-grabbing exchange could have some spillover benefits, according to Christopher Morse, a communications professor with a focus on health care and risk/crisis management at Bryant University in Rhode Island.

The spotlight is a powerful reminder that this is the time to get the booster and the flu shot, Morse said in an interview Tuesday, and it normalizes doing so. Hardcore vaccine conspiracists probably won't change their minds, but the attention could spur many more to get the shots. The "twofer" message could also motivate the forgetful or ambivalent to act because it's a timesaver when so many people have crowded schedules.

Morse is skeptical of celebrity endorsements' influence, particularly when it comes to medical decisions. But athletes like Kelce may have impact because their livelihood depends on their health, he said.

Uptake for the last COVID booster was frustrating. Just 17% of the total U.S. population reported getting this shot. Clearly, more innovative messaging is in order. Enlisting more athletes like Kelce may not be gamechanger but it could help move the needle — a helpful advance with broad health benefits.