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By Shane Clausing

flu shots

Albertans encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated against influenza

Oct 20, 2021 | 1:56 PM

Albertans are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and get the annual flu shot this year.

Doctors and provincial officials are calling on Albertans to get the shot because of the amount of stress the healthcare system is under because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While COVID-19 and vaccinations are at the forefront of everyone’s minds, influenza is still a threat to the province’s healthcare system.

As of October 18, there were 964 Albertans in hospital with COVID-19 with 218 of those patients in the ICU, with the potential for influenza patients to add to that stress.

Dr. Jack Pang, a medical officer of health for the North Zone says with the healthcare system stretched, it’s crucial that Albertans get the yearly shot.

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“It is very important to get your flu shot this year. We are still dealing with this 19-month long pandemic and our hospital capacity right now is fairly stretched and there’s lots of pressure on our hospitals,” explained Pang.

“We do know that the flu shot is very effective in preventing influenza. If Albertans are able to roll up their sleeves again this year to get the shot, we are able to prevent outbreaks of influenza, which would then protect the health of Albertans and further reduce extra stress on our already very stressed hospital capacity.”

A question that will be asked by many across the province is if it is safe to get both the influenza vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine?

Dr. Pang says the data available says it has been medically proven safe to get both shots.

“It’s absolutely safe to get both shots, there is no indication to not do that. As a matter of fact, it’s actually very safe to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and influenza vaccine at the same time.”

The influenza vaccine is available at your local pharmacy and anyone over six months old can receive it. Vaccine appointments can also be booked through AHS.

Because so many Albertans got vaccinated against the flu last year there wasn’t a single lab-confirmed case or death from influenza in the province.

So far, Alberta Health says they’ve seen three lab-confirmed cases of the flu.

In 2019-20, there were over 8,400 lab-confirmed cases of influenza along with 41 deaths.