With flu season just around the corner, Londoners are being urged to protect themselves and others from nasty bugs by getting a flu shot. Kate Dubinski reports.
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It?s that time of year again.
Runny nose. Chills. Nausea. Aches, pains and fever.
Officials at the Middlesex-London Health Unit are urging Londoners to get their flu shot as a series of public clinics begin this week.
?We encourage everyone over the age of six months to get the vaccine,? said Marlene Price, manager of the health unit?s vaccine preventative diseases program.
?It?s important to protect those around you ? young children, the immuno-compromized and the frail elderly, and to also protect yourself.?
The health unit usually waits for the first confirmed case of the flu ? usually from a nasal swab taken by a doctor or nurse ? to officially declare the start of flu season.
That hasn?t happened yet in London. The season usually starts in October or November and lasts until March or April.
The shot is effective against three different strains of the flu, determined each year by the World Health Organization.
?Until it gets here, we don?t know if it?s going to be a stronger or milder strain this year,? Price said.
The health unit gets 140,000 doses of the flu vaccine every year.
The shots are distributed through public clinics as well as family doctors and in hospitals, retirement homes, long-term care facilities and at work sites.
This year, some of the doses will also be sent to pharmacists who were just empowered to administer the shot ? after they?ve been trained and after the health unit has checked their fridges to make sure the vaccine can be stored properly.
?The ministry has said 25% of pharmacists in each health unit jurisdiction will be able to deliver the shot this year,? Price said. ?We?re not there yet, but we?re almost there.?
It?s unclear which pharmacists can deliver the shot in London.
kate.dubinski@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/KateatLFPress
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THE FLU
- Usually lasts between two and seven days
- Most dangerous to young children, the frail elderly and those with weak immune systems
SYMPTOMS
- Feeling feverish or fever of 37.7 C or higher
- Cough or sore throat, runny or stuffy nose
- Headaches, body aches, chills
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea (most common in children)
THE SHOT
- Protects against three common flu strains, including H1N1
- Administered by nurses, doctors, pharmacists and other health-care providers
- Protection develops about two weeks after the shot
- Considered safe for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers
WHERE TO GET IT
- Find public health clinics by going to www.healthunit.com and clicking on the yellow "influenza info" box.
- Ask your health-care provider (doctor, pharmacist)
| 0% 0 votes | Yes  |
| 0% 0 votes | No, don't believe in them |
| 0% 0 votes | I plan on getting it |
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