Meredith Kerr
Journal Staff
Getting the flu shot every year helps protect the whole community is the key message from Dr. Christine Kennedy, Interim Medical Officer of Health in Alberta Health Services North Zone.
“Influenza is serious. Immunization works to prevent the not so good effects of influenza. The one thing we know is that prevention is the only protection,” said Kennedy.
To prevent spreading the flu, she says to be vigilant about proper hand washing, get immunized, and if you do get sick stay home.
“It usually affects those who are immune compromised or already ill, and affects individuals at the two extremes of ages the very young and the very old most severely,” said Kennedy.
According to the Alberta Health Services website, “flu symptoms start suddenly and may include: fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and feeling tired.” The common cold has a more gradual onset and its symptoms rarely involve the entire body.
Last year, 92 people in Alberta were hospitalized and died of the flu, including 10 in the North Zone. According to Kennedy, upwards of 3,000 people die of the flu in Canada each year.
Influenza is caused by a virus, which mutates and changes every year. Doctors and health researchers try to predict which strains of the virus to vaccinate against each year.
“Alberta Health has purchased two brands of quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine. Both are injectable for Albertans six months of age and older,” said Kennedy.
The brands are Flulaval Tetra and Fluzone Quadrivalent, which protect against a total of four strains of influenza expected to circulate this year.
“It increases our bodies ability to recognize and fight off influenza strains that are included in the annual vaccination,” said Kennedy. Last year, more than 9,000 people in Alberta were sick with lab confirmed influenza. Of those numbers, 1,300 of those were in the North Zone.
Information from the Alberta Health Services website says getting the vaccine reduces the risk of getting influenza by about half, but also makes the illness less severe if you do get sick, and prevents spreading the disease to others.
“Even when the vaccine does not exactly match the viruses going around, it can still give some protection,” reads the info sheet.
This year, Kennedy says AHS has set vaccination targets of 35 per cent of the general population and 80 per cent of AHS staff.
According to Alberta Health Services, approximately 1.2 million doses of the vaccine were administered last year, with more than 92,000 people receiving the vaccine in the North Zone.
Getting the flu shot is free if you live, work, or go to school in Alberta. This week is the official season kick-off for influenza clinics.
"The vaccine will be available free of charge to all Albertans six months of age and older at hundreds of Alberta Health Services (AHS) public influenza immunization clinics, as well as at many pharmacists and physician offices around the province that can provide immunization to Albertans five years of age and older,” reads a media release from AHS.
Drop-in flu shot clinics are being hosted at St. Paul Community Health Services from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, from 9 a.m. to 3:30pm on Oct. 17, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 27, and then most Tuesday and Thursday mornings from November to March.
