Vaccination key for seasonal flu prevention

By Lethbridge Herald on October 17, 2022.

Herald photo by Ry Clarke Kemi Odeloye holds her daughter Praise-Report’s hand as she watches nurse Lana Vanden Dungen give her a flu shot during an Immunization Clinic Monday at Exhibition Park.

Ry Clarke – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

With the falling of leaves it comes time to remember to rake our yards, but Alberta Health Services is also hoping it reminds folks to also get their flu shot. 

Fall, often called the flu season, brings colder weather which can cause our immunity to dip with the temperatures. To keep on top of pesky sniffling noises and ragged coughs, the flu shot helps support the immune system and helps protect against the seasonal bugs that are out and about. 

On Monday, AHS began its immunization campaign at Exhibition Park, offering influenza vaccines to those eligible.

“Influenza is a serious respiratory illness and the immunization is to prevent serious illness, this is the first day where we have flu vaccines available for the general public,” said Vivien Suttorp, lead medical officer of health for South Zone with AHS. “Immunization is one of the strategies that we do to protect ourselves and to protect others from certain diseases, like respiratory illnesses. What immunization does, it gives you a bit of the antigen of a virus, so that you build antibodies. Then when you get exposed to that, by grabbing a dirty doorknob or somebody sneezes close to you, then your body is already armed and it can fend off that virus.”

With recent years restricting the amount of people out and about, this year’s immunization is important to help. 

“This year is a very important year to pay attention to influenza. In the last couple years, we have not seen much influenza, we saw a little bit in April this year, a bit of a late wave. Typically, influenza circulates in October through March,” said Suttorp. “When individuals have not seen influenza for a couple of years, they have not been exposed to it. It is important for individuals to have a better leg up with an immunization dose.”

Helping out with the immunization campaign, the local Medicine Shoppe pharmacy offered flu shots to those in need at the Soup Kitchen on Monday.

“This is the best place to give them a flu shot, they come here for meals, so it certainly gets better exposure to get the shot,” said Vishal Sukhadiya, pharmacy owner. “We get about 25 to 30 per cent of the guests. Because of the lack of education, it is hard to convince them. But they are the most vulnerable group. Because if they contracted the flu, they are the ones that will end up in a hospital because of the lowered immune system due to underlying medical conditions.”

Vaccines this year will contain four types of influenza strains. Albertans looking to get immunized can check with local pharmacies and doctor’s offices, or visit ahs.ca/vaccine to find out more information. 

“Vaccines for influenza are available in a number of different locations. Public health clinics, which are primarily for families of children under five, and then there is a vaccine available for those five years and up in pharmacies, and some physician offices. It is best to check prior, you can make appointments on the Alberta Health Services website and also through 811,” said Suttorp.