With the cold weather comes influenza, and residents are being encouraged to be prepared and prevent the spread of the virus.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is providing free flu shots to Albertans from six-months of age and older starting Monday, Oct. 15.
“Influenza is a viral disease that causes a respiratory illness, which causes a cluster of symptoms (such as) fevers, aches, pains, and cough,” explained medical officer of health for AHS Dr. Chris Sikora. “It’s an inconvenience. It lays you up for a couple of days, and most people recover, but it’s also quite deadly.”
Drop-in clinics will be hosted on Oct. 15 at the Bonnyville Senior Citizens’ Drop-in Centre from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., while on Nov. 1, the Centennial Centre will host their own clinic from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Flu shots will also be available throughout cold and flu season through family doctors and pharmacies.
Tellier’s Guardian Pharmacy will be one of the locations offering the vaccine in Bonnyville. Pharmacist Caitlin McGrath stressed why it’s key people get immunized.
“It’s important for your own health, but a lot of people think ‘well, I’m healthy and why do I really need it? I never get the flu.’ The biggest thing is community health and lowering the risk for elderly people and young kids that are unable to get it or are more at risk for complications,” she detailed.
From Oct. 15-17, appointments are needed for those wanting their flu shots at Tellier’s.
Afterwards, residents will be able to walk in to get the shot during their regular business hours.
Last year, there were around 9,000 reported confirmed cases of influenza in Alberta. There were just over 3,000 Albertans admitted to hospitals due to flu symptoms, and 92 deaths province-wide.
“One of the hallmarks of influenza is that it can be spread before you’re actually symptomatic. Before you have the cough, fever, running nose, aches, and pains, you might be transmitting symptoms,” Sikora detailed.
Since this is the case, preventative measures should be taken, and immunization is one of the ways people can help avert the virus’ spread.
“It’s really your best chance of being healthy, or at least preventing illness from influenza over the winter season,” he said.
Immunization has been proven to help prevent people from getting the flu, and protects vulnerable individuals, such as children and seniors.
“It primes the immune system to be ready when it does eventually come across those viruses in the air. It’s good to be immunized a good four weeks before an exposure, and the difficulty in that is we don’t know when influenza season (starts),” Sikora detailed, adding that there hasn’t been any good signs on how to indicate when flu season begins.
McGrath noted, “The earlier you get it, the better... It’s better to have it now before the flu actually comes, so you’re more likely to prevent getting the flu or minimize the symptoms from it.”
Unfortunately, there’s not a lot that can be done once someone gets sick.
“Stay home when you’re sick, and staying home means stay there until you’re all better. Rest and fluids are all things that can help,” Sikora exclaimed.
For more information on where clinics will be held in the Lakeland, visit www.ahs.ca/influenza or call Health Link at 811.
