Immunizations to keep the flu bug away from councillors

Dec 8, 2017 | 2:11 PM

Flu season is well underway in Grande Prairie and residents of the city were out protecting themselves Friday morning

The Grande Prairie Public Health Centre was filled with city and county councillors, as well as Reeve Leanne Beaupre, who were leading by example.

Their commitment to immunizations comes after news that a percentage of lab-positive tests for flu is also higher at this point on the calendar compared with previous seasons.

“I wanted to get the flu shot to not only protect myself, but also people in the community who I may come into contact with,” said County Councillor Peter Harris.

“This is a health initiative put on by the province to protect the citizens. We should take advantage of it.”

In its weekly FluWatch report, the Public Health Agency of Canada says the annual sneezing/coughing season began early this year, especially with illness due to influenza-B.

Grande Prairie City Councillor Dylan Bressey was one of those in attendance as well.

“I spend a lot of time in retirement lodges. I have some friends with compromised immune systems, and they’re not able to get their vaccines. So I did this for them,” he said.

Despite his misgivings about needles, he decided it was worth doing.

“I’m a healthy 33-year-old man, and the reality is the flu is probably not the end of the world for me … But for those I interact with, it can be a matter of life and death,” he said.

“I’m a big baby about (getting needles), but it’s really not that bad.”

by Jordan Parker