Every year, health authorities encourage Canadians to get the annual flu vaccine starting in late October and early November. While many people scoff at influenza, each year more than 10,000 Canadians are hospitalized after catching it and several thousand cases are fatal. Globally, about three to five million people will become severely ill and between a quarter and a half-million people die.
One hundred countries monitor the progression of the flu for about six months under the auspices of the World Health Organization. The information is collected and experts use it to try to predict which strains of influenza will be most prevalent in a given season.
Immunization targets three or four strains
This year, Canada’s flu vaccine is designed to protect against H1N1, H3N2, and a Phuket 2013-like virus. Some vaccines also protect against B/Brisbane which particularly affects children. The choice may not be a perfect match for what is circulating, but doctors say it still offers some good protection.
The shot which protects against the four strains is newly-available in a nasal spray for children who may prefer avoiding the usual injection.
Vaccine may not be perfect, but still offers protection
There is little risk in getting the flu vaccine. The point of injection may be a bit sore but, contrary to popular belief, you cannot get influenza from it.
“Although other things like hand hygiene is absolutely important, and not going out if you are sick and not exposing others is absolutely important, the reality is the flu shot—even at not a perfect match—remains the front-line (protection),” says Joshua Tepper, a family physician and associate professor at the University of Toronto.
“It really is the most important way of protecting not just yourself, but your family and the people in your community.”
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