Flu shots became available across the province on Oct. 19, and pharmacists have been overwhelmed by public response for vaccinations.
The vaccines are being offered free of charge, as per usual, but Alberta Health Services isn’t offering them through large public health clinics this year. Health clinics are only available to children under five and their families through appointment. Everyone else is required to get the vaccinations at a pharmacy or through their doctor. This is being done to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Nicole Schettler, a pharmacist at Remedy’sRX, said they have seen a huge increase in demand for the flu shot.
“We have had incredible uptake this year. I think over the course of last year, we gave out just under 297 doses total. We are already well above 350 this year,” she said.
Schettler said there are two reasons why they’ve seen an increase. Everyone who would normally go to a flu clinic is being directed toward their offices, and people are also looking for preventative measures in response to COVID-19.
“It’s a good tool in our toolbox. And then, with people having to stay home from work or school at the first sign of any sort of symptoms, they can at least hopefully cut their chances of it being the flu,” Schettler said. “And hopefully they’ll miss less work or school as a result.”
The government ordered a record 1.96 million doses of the vaccine this year, or enough to vaccinate 45 per cent of the population. Last year, 33 per cent of Albertans were immunized or about 1.4 million people.
The government is recommending people get immunized to keep flu counts low.
“The flu shot won’t prevent COVID-19, but it will reduce your chances of getting others sick,” stated Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw in a press statement.
The flu, a contagious respiratory disease, is caused by a virus that affects the nose, throat and lungs. It lowers the body’s ability to fight other infections and can lead to other complications.
Influenza can be dangerous for those at risk, such as seniors, children under four, and those with compromised immune systems. Alberta saw 1,595 hospitalizations and 41 confirmed deaths from the flu virus last year.
The flu also puts more stress on the health care system and that’s stress that isn’t needed.
“Flu is still a big public health issue, and I think it often gets overlooked. This year, obviously, we really need to try and keep the capacity in our hospitals open so that we can deal with other things such as COVID or other emergencies that still happen,” said Schettler.
There are a few things that people should be aware of when getting the vaccine, Schettler explains. Kids who are under the age of nine and have never had the vaccine before need to get two shots, at least eight weeks apart.
Pharmacists aren’t offering publicly funded nasal spray vaccines this year, but families can pay out of pocket for the spray. High-dose vaccinations aren’t generally available either as they have been allotted for long-term care facilities.
Schettler said the shot they are offering, even though it isn’t high-dose, is still an excellent vaccine.
“It actually protects a little bit better against the influenza strain that children are more likely to transmit,” she explained. “So, in some ways, even though it’s not the high-dose vaccine, it may even be better in some circumstances than the high-dose vaccine.”
The flu shot is good for about a year and effectiveness peaks around two months after immunization, which is why people are encouraged to get the shot in October, as a preparation for the holiday season.
Schettler said even if you’ve already had the flu, you should still get immunized as there are many different strains. She also said it is possible to catch the flu after receiving the shot.
“It’s generally a milder illness with less complications,” Schettler said. “Even if you’ve had the flu shot in the past and then got the flu, it’s still better than not having the flu shot. Because it does kind of prep your body to deal with it. And generally, severity is much less.”
The flu shot isn’t the only way to prevent flu illness. Hinshaw is recommending people use methods that have become all too familiar during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the flu virus.
“While getting immunized helps, it’s also crucial to wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes and stay home while sick,” said Hinshaw.
HALIFAX – The Nova Scotia government says it could be months before it reveals how many people are on the wait-list for a family doctor.
The head of the province’s health authority told reporters Wednesday that the government won’t release updated data until the 160,000 people who were on the wait-list in June are contacted to verify whether they still need primary care.
Karen Oldfield said Nova Scotia Health is working on validating the primary care wait-list data before posting new numbers, and that work may take a matter of months. The most recent public wait-list figures are from June 1, when 160,234 people, or about 16 per cent of the population, were on it.
“It’s going to take time to make 160,000 calls,” Oldfield said. “We are not talking weeks, we are talking months.”
The interim CEO and president of Nova Scotia Health said people on the list are being asked where they live, whether they still need a family doctor, and to give an update on their health.
A spokesperson with the province’s Health Department says the government and its health authority are “working hard” to turn the wait-list registry into a useful tool, adding that the data will be shared once it is validated.
Nova Scotia’s NDP are calling on Premier Tim Houston to immediately release statistics on how many people are looking for a family doctor. On Tuesday, the NDP introduced a bill that would require the health minister to make the number public every month.
“It is unacceptable for the list to be more than three months out of date,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Tuesday.
Chender said releasing this data regularly is vital so Nova Scotians can track the government’s progress on its main 2021 campaign promise: fixing health care.
The number of people in need of a family doctor has more than doubled between the 2021 summer election campaign and June 2024. Since September 2021 about 300 doctors have been added to the provincial health system, the Health Department said.
“We’ll know if Tim Houston is keeping his 2021 election promise to fix health care when Nova Scotians are attached to primary care,” Chender said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Newfoundland and Labrador‘s chief medical officer is monitoring the rise of whooping cough infections across the province as cases of the highly contagious disease continue to grow across Canada.
Dr. Janice Fitzgerald says that so far this year, the province has recorded 230 confirmed cases of the vaccine-preventable respiratory tract infection, also known as pertussis.
Late last month, Quebec reported more than 11,000 cases during the same time period, while Ontario counted 470 cases, well above the five-year average of 98. In Quebec, the majority of patients are between the ages of 10 and 14.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick has declared a whooping cough outbreak across the province. A total of 141 cases were reported by last month, exceeding the five-year average of 34.
The disease can lead to severe complications among vulnerable populations including infants, who are at the highest risk of suffering from complications like pneumonia and seizures. Symptoms may start with a runny nose, mild fever and cough, then progress to severe coughing accompanied by a distinctive “whooping” sound during inhalation.
“The public, especially pregnant people and those in close contact with infants, are encouraged to be aware of symptoms related to pertussis and to ensure vaccinations are up to date,” Newfoundland and Labrador’s Health Department said in a statement.
Whooping cough can be treated with antibiotics, but vaccination is the most effective way to control the spread of the disease. As a result, the province has expanded immunization efforts this school year. While booster doses are already offered in Grade 9, the vaccine is now being offered to Grade 8 students as well.
Public health officials say whooping cough is a cyclical disease that increases every two to five or six years.
Meanwhile, New Brunswick’s acting chief medical officer of health expects the current case count to get worse before tapering off.
A rise in whooping cough cases has also been reported in the United States and elsewhere. The Pan American Health Organization issued an alert in July encouraging countries to ramp up their surveillance and vaccination coverage.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors.
Bizarre Sunlight Loophole Melts Belly Fat Fast! is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked.
