STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

Flu season is here, vaccines available Monday

Oct 11, 2018 | 12:58 PM

With October marking the start of the flu season, vaccines will be available for the public next week.

North Zone Lead Medical Officer of Health Dr. Albert De Villiers says it’s important for people to get their shots, especially during peak flu season.

“The only way for you to not get influenza is to prevent it by (getting a shot). There are other things to do as well, but the influenza vaccine works the best.”

He adds washing your hands, covering your mouth when coughing and staying home when you’re ill work only to some extent.

De Villiers adds contrary to some beliefs, a vaccine does more good than bad for the body.

“In most vaccines, specifically the influenza one, they take the proteins of it and put that in the vaccine and give it to your body. So, then your body thinks, ‘Oh, this virus is attacking me’, but it’s actually a dead virus. So, it can’t really make you sick. The body thinks it is. It (then) uses the proteins to build antibodies.”

He says they are hoping to increase the immunization rate this year compared to last.

“In the north, if you look at the province total, it’s about 30 percent. So, if you think there are between 400,000 and 500,000 people in the north, we would really like to push that a little bit higher. Our goal is always to push the number higher and I think the goal for this year is to push it up to 35 percent.”

 There were 92 deaths from patients who were confirmed to have influenza last year. 

Flu season runs until March, according to AHS. 

Vaccines are available for those aged six months and older on October 15 at your nearest public health unit or pharmacy that has the influenza vaccine in stock.