As hospitals prepare for the 2026–2027 influenza season, prevention, vaccination, early recognition, and treatment remain important priorities. CDC guidance recommends annual influenza vaccination for people 6 months and older without contraindications, with September and October generally recommended as the vaccination window for most people.¹
But when influenza progresses to severe illness requiring hospitalization or intensive care, another challenge can emerge: helping patients maintain mobility and function throughout recovery.
For critically ill patients, getting out of bed may not be feasible early in their care. As hospitals prepare for respiratory illness season, planning shouldn’t end with managing the acute illness. Recovery matters, too.
When Respiratory Illness Becomes a Mobility Challenge
Influenza can lead to serious complications and hospitalization, particularly among patients at increased risk.² For patients hospitalized with influenza, CDC recommends antiviral treatment as soon as possible.³
For patients whose illness requires intensive care, the recovery journey can extend beyond treating the infection itself.
Mechanical ventilation, sedation, weakness, hemodynamic concerns, multiple medical devices, and prolonged bed rest can all create barriers to mobility. Traditional activities such as sitting at the edge of the bed, transferring to a chair, standing, or walking may not yet be feasible.
This creates an important challenge for ICU teams:
How can mobility begin when getting out of bed isn’t yet an option?
Mobility Doesn’t Have to Start With Walking
Early mobility isn’t an all-or-nothing event.
Depending on a patient’s condition and clinical appropriateness, mobility can begin with progressive positioning and upright activity before advancing toward sitting, standing, transferring, and walking.
For medically complex patients, identifying opportunities to introduce activity earlier may help bridge the gap between prolonged bed rest and more advanced rehabilitation.
The goal is not to move every patient out of bed immediately. It is to consider which mobility activities may be appropriate at each stage of recovery.
Creating Another Pathway to Early Mobility
For clinically appropriate patients who aren’t yet candidates for conventional out-of-bed mobility, Verticalization Therapy® can provide another approach to introducing progressive upright positioning and weight-bearing while the patient remains supported in bed.
Using The Catalyst®, clinical teams can incorporate progressive verticalization into a broader mobility plan based on the patient’s clinical condition, goals, and tolerance.
Verticalization Therapy is not intended to replace physical therapy, occupational therapy, or conventional mobility. Rather, it can provide another option along the mobility continuum when traditional approaches may be limited.
For ICU teams, the question becomes: Where could this approach fit into a patient’s mobility plan when getting out of bed isn’t yet an option?
Preparing for Recovery, Not Just the Respiratory Surge
Flu-season preparedness understandably focuses on prevention, vaccination, treatment, respiratory support, and hospital capacity.
But when respiratory illness progresses to critical illness, recovery becomes another important consideration.
As hospitals prepare for the 2026–2027 flu season, there is an opportunity to think beyond managing acute illness and consider how medically complex patients can begin moving toward recovery.
That conversation can start before the next patient arrives: What mobility barriers might the team encounter, and which approaches could be considered when conventional out-of-bed activity is not yet feasible?
Because when getting out of bed isn’t yet an option, mobility doesn’t necessarily have to wait.
Bring the Mobility Conversation to Your Unit
Connect with Kreg’s Clinical Team to schedule a bedside demonstration, arrange staff training, or discuss how Verticalization Therapy® could fit into your unit’s mobility approach.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interim Clinical Considerations for the Use of Seasonal Influenza Vaccines in the United States. CDC Clinical Considerations.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. CDC Seasonal Flu Vaccine Information.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza Antiviral Medications: Summary for Clinicians. CDC Antiviral Guidance for Clinicians.