Northern Health is recommending everyone over the age of six months should get the influenza ‘flu’ vaccine this fall.
Flu shots have been available since Oct. 11, and can be booked online, or by phoning 1-833-838-2323 toll free.
“Influenza is not always a harmless illness. It can cause serious health risks including death. A person with influenza is also at risk of other infections, such as bacterial or viral pneumonia (an infection of the lungs),” according to Northern Health’s website. “Every year, about 1,400 people in B.C. die from influenza and complications of influenza, such as pneumonia. The peak of the influenza season is traditionally November to April. Your best protection from getting and transmitting influenza is the influenza vaccine.”
Getting vaccinated and good personal hygiene, including effective hand washing, are the best protections against the flu. If you do get sick, stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and manage your symptoms.
The flu Quadrivalent and Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccines (QIIV and TIIV), and Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine (LAIV-Q) vaccines for the 2022-2023 flu season contain protection against the A/Victoria, A/Darwin, B/Austria and B/Phuket strains.
The A/Darwin and B/Austria strains were not contained in the 2021/2022 season vaccines.
The influenza vaccine is highly recommended and provided free to people at higher risk, people capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk, people who provide essential community services and anyone else who wishes to reduce their risk of influenza.
