There's a significant difference in kind between "a nasty cold or flu season" and the excess mortality rate we've seen during COVID, particularly earlier in the pandemic[1].

There's no non sequitur here: getting vaccinated reduces every demographic's risk of serious illness (even when serious illness is not especially likely!), which in turn reduces the burden on healthcare institutions. That is a good civic reason to get vaccinated that has nothing to do with transmission.

[1]: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid19/excess_deaths.htm