Influenza Vaccines are now available across the BC, and Interior Health’s Medical Health Officer is recommending the shot.
“Cold and flu season is here,” says Dr. Carol Fenton, Medical Health Officer with Interior Health, “We’re starting to see more people who have respiratory symptoms and are testing negative for COVID-19, which means we do have other viruses circulating, and the best thing to do to protect yourself this cold and flu season is to get your flu shot and also adhere well to hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette.”
Fenton says the two categories of people who it’s most important to get the shot includes anyone with pre-existing cardiac, lung or developmental illnesses and people who are very young or old, and anyone who could spread it to any of those people, which includes everyone.
“We’re working with our community vaccine partners, so many pharmacies and family doctors have it available,” Fenton says.
She says it’s best to get the vaccine before early December.