Get your flu shot, health officials urge

Public health clinics, doctors’ offices and pharmacies across the province started offering flu shots Monday as health officials encouraged residents of all ages to get vaccinated this year.

Anyone above the age of six months can get the shot, free of charge.

“It’s your best chance at being protected against influenza. And what it does is not only protect ourselves, it often reduces the severity of illness, and if you’re not ill then you are not transmitting to other people,” Dr. Christopher Sikora, Alberta Health Services’ acting senior medical officer of health said Monday morning at the opening of the East Edmonton Health Centre’s clinic. “It protects your loved ones, your kids, your parents, your grandparents, and your co-workers.”

Alberta has 1.6 million doses of the influenza vaccine available this year, enough to immunize 35 per cent of the population. Sikora said this year’s shot is a quadrivalent vaccine that protects against four different strains: two A strains (H1N1 and H3N2) and two B strains.

“It doesn’t have live components in it. So it won’t make you sick,” he said.

One of the biggest changes this year is expanded access to the flu shot at pharmacies. Children as young as five can now get vaccinated at pharmacies. In previous years, children had to be at least nine to receive the vaccination from pharmacists. Children under the age of five can get immunized at public health clinics.

Those interested can find where flu shots are available locally by checking AHS information online or by calling Health Link at 811.

Health officials said more than 3,000 people in the province ended up in hospital last year due to influenza and 92 people died. A news release from AHS said the flu caused more ER visits than heart attacks and strokes.