While ’flu shots have been available to those in high-risk groups and health care workers since the middle of October, the Northwestern Health Unit here has been getting ready to administer the vaccine to the public starting Nov. 14.
“We’re really looking at this as being much, much bigger than anything in the past,” team leader Ken Allan said yesterday.
“Looking over the years, the most immunizations we’ve ever done in one ’flu season is 16,000. The Ministry [of Health] has sent us 60,000 doses,” he added.
The intensive campaign will be carried out at various schools across the district starting Nov. 14, and will be open to the public from 2-7 p.m. on scheduled days.
A schedule of dates and locations will be released soon, said Allan.
He said the reason the ministry has spent $38 million to ensure all Ontarians have access to the influenza vaccine is to prevent emergency rooms from getting overloaded, as was the case last year.
Allan stressed the ’flu is a “significant illness.”
“It results in thousands of deaths, and billions of dollars in lost wages, every year in Canada,” he warned. “This is not only an opportunity to protect yourself from this nasty virus but your family as well.”
Here are some facts about influenza from the health unit:
•The viruses that cause the ’flu change often, therefore a new shot is required every year for protection.
•Adults and children over nine require one dose annually, but those under nine require two doses of the influenza vaccine, with an interval of four weeks between doses.
(But the second dose is not needed if the child received one or more doses of the vaccine in a previous season).
•The incubation time for the ’flu virus is from when a person is exposed to someone else with it until symptoms show for one-three days (an infected person is contagious before getting the symptoms).
•The influenza vaccine works by stimulating your immune system to produce antibodies. After two weeks, your body should have enough antibodies to protect you against the ’flu.
(It will not prevent colds or other respiratory viruses).
•The ’flu vaccine cannot give you the ’flu–it is not a live vaccine. It is safe for all age groups over six months old.
•The vaccine should not be given to anyone with severe allergies to eggs or egg products, thimerosol, neomycin, and gelatin.
•The possible side-effects of vaccination are soreness at the site of vaccination, which may last up to two days. Fever and fatigue also may occur within six to 12 hours, which can be eased with acetaminophen.
•Your immune system will not weaken if you get a ’flu shot every year.
And while a healthy lifestyle can support your defence system in general, it can never protect you from a specific infectious agent (bacteria or virus).
•The ’flu vaccine contains no human or animal cells. Viral vaccines are grown in cells derived from animals or humans but during purification of the vaccine, all cells are removed.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
