As of last week, the Northwestern Health Unit already had given out more influenza vaccinations in November than it did all of last winter.
“Our final clinic was supposed to be Dec. 4, but we’ve had to add a couple more dates due to the demand,” public health nurse Cindy McKinnon noted yesterday.
The new clinic dates have been scheduled for Dec. 9 and 10 at the health unit’s office here in Fort Frances (396 Scott St.), with more to be announced in the next week or so.
These are by appointment only, and will be held either between 9 a.m.-noon or 9 a.m.-4 p.m. (depending on the day of the week).
“It’s remarkable,” McKinnon added.“ We’ve distributed more vaccines in the month of November that we had all last year.”
The public’s demand was evident at the Nov. 24 ’flu shot clinic at St. Francis School, when some 200 people showed up to be vaccinated, she noted.
“As of Nov. 28, 29,894 doses have been distributed in the Northwestern Health Unit catchment,” McKinnon said. “In just Fort Frances, Rainy River, Emo and Atikokan, there’s been 10,137 doses distributed.”
These figures refer to the number of vaccines given out to various health agencies, including clinics, general practitioners, rest homes, and health care facilities.
“The health unit has administered a total of 9,216 doses—that’s 2,000 more than last year at this time,” McKinnon added. “In [this] district, including Atikokan, we’ve administered 3,171 doses.”
While it’s difficult to say exactly why so many people are getting ’flu shots this year, McKinnon said there’s been more media attention recently, particularly regarding the A Fujian strain that’s caused some deaths in Ontario and elsewhere.
“This ’flu shot will give you some protection from that,” she remarked.
McKinnon noted people also are aware the holiday season can also mean ’flu season and have learned the hard way it’s good to get a shot before Christmas.
“People are together more, indoors. There’s more visiting, more socializing,” she explained. “Christmas is a time when you see it more in the nursing homes, too.”
For more information, or the dates and times of future clinics, contact the health unit at 274-9827.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
