With flu season right around the corner, Cochranites are encouraged to keep themselves and their loved ones safe and healthy this winter by getting their annual flu shot.
Flu season typically starts during the third week of October and can last until June. Pharmacists recommend that people receive their flu shots as early as possible to avoid getting sick or reducing the severity of flu-like symptoms this season.
With vaccinations a more important and discussed topic now than ever, either for COVID-19 or the flu, it is something that Ian Kreuger, pharmacist of Two Pharmacy, recommends everyone should get every year.
Kreuger explained that vaccines are based on a global scale by examining the hemispheres. Based on the strains of flu in the southern hemisphere, vaccines are made to protect people living in the northern hemisphere.
“There are a number of different vaccinations when it comes to flu shots,” he said. “Some of them have four strains, some only have three, but basically they are referring to the opposite side [hemisphere] and that’s what they use here.”
Symptoms of influenza infection include fatigue, fever, aches, headaches and a persistent or nagging cough. For a lot of people, the flu might mean a few days off work, and a few unpleasant days of feeling sick. But for others, the flu can potentially be deadly.
According to Alberta government data, 90 cases of this year’s seasonal influenza were reported to AHS as of Oct. 15, with just over one-third of those cases in the Calgary zone. No deaths had been confirmed from the flu in Alberta as of that date, but 15 hospitalizations and four intensive care unit admissions had been reported.
Regardless of age, Kreuger advises everyone to get their flu shots. Alberta Health Services recommends the shots to anyone over the age of six months.
“You might think you’re young and healthy, so [the flu] won’t bother you, but what happens is that if you have it, then you’re exposing it to other people who are susceptible to symptoms it,” Kreuger explained.
He outlined that seniors 65 and older, and those who are immunocompromised are more at-risk from the flu than others. By getting vaccinated, he said it helps keep everyone safe.
“It might sound a little bit harsh, but I always say it’s a little bit selfish to not get your flu shot if you can,” Kreuger said. “You’re not just protecting yourself; you’re protecting those around you.”
In order to address some common misconceptions about the flu shot, he wants to reinforce to everyone that the vaccines Two Pharmacy has access to are dead-vaccines, which means that people cannot get the flu from the vaccine.
“There are different types of vaccines, for the ones we have access to, we are exposing your body to what the virus looks like in order for your body to go, ‘Hey I need to protect against this,” Kreuger said. “But ultimately, it is not a live vaccine.
“… So, again I know there’s those myths that; ‘I got my flu shot and I got sick,’ but yeah, that doesn’t happen.”
Kreuger adds that the process to getting your flu shot is easier than ever. For Two Pharmacy, a quick form for people to answer either online or in-store is all it takes to keep families and other Cochranites safe.
“It’s just asking medical-related questions like; ‘How are you feeling?’ and all that kind of stuff which we need to have done,” he said. “We think we’ve made it as easy as possible by doing it electronically so it can be done ahead of time.”
With AHS making the vaccines freely accessible to nearly every Albertan this flu season, Kreuger advises that everyone get the vaccine. He encourages people in Cochrane to call Two Pharmacy or visit twopharmacy.ca to book an appointment.
“I would just really love to encourage people to have it done,” Kreuger said. “It is really, really important and we try to make it as easy as we can for people to have access to it.”
