Where can I get my flu shot? |
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Starting in October, the flu vaccine will be available to the following individuals in the KFL&A region ONLY:
You can get your flu shot from:
The flu vaccine will be available to the general public starting in November. Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or attends school in Ontario is eligible to receive the publicly funded flu vaccine. You can get your flu shot from:
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What can I do to prevent the flu? |
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You can help protect yourself against the flu by getting your flu vaccine. The earlier you get the vaccine, the better your chances are to prevent getting the flu. The flu is a viral infection that can have severe complications. Anyone can get the flu virus. The flu is not just a cold. You could miss school, work, parties, holidays, or even end up in the hospital. The flu vaccine helps your body help itself. The vaccine will trigger your body to fight off infection if you come into contact with the flu. This means you either will not get the flu, or the symptoms will be greatly reduced. Each year, different strains of the flu virus appear. Scientists predict which strains will be most likely to affect us for the coming year. These strains are used to make up the year's flu vaccine. This is why it is important to be immunized each fall. Getting your flu vaccine is good for everyone. When more people get their flu vaccine, the odds of the flu virus spreading goes down. This protects those who are most vulnerable such as children under 5 years old, adults 65 years or older, pregnant women, as well as those living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, cancer, and HIV or AIDS. In addition to getting your flu vaccine, you can help stop the spread of the flu, and protect yourself & your family by following a few easy steps:
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What is the difference between a cold and flu? |
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What can I do to ease symptoms if I have the flu? |
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If you have flu-like symptoms, including a fever, a cough, severe headache or chills, be sure to:
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If I have the flu, when should I call my doctor? |
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Contact your doctor if symptoms are severe and do not improve after a few days. There are many ways to get non-emergency medical care. Trained professionals from Telehealth Ontario and KFL&A Public Health can answer your questions by phone, and family doctors, nurses and other health care providers can provide care. For the latest public health information, you can contact KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232 or on Facebook and Twitter (@kflaph). To reach Telehealth Ontario, call 1-866-797-0000 |
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Who is at risk? |
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Influenza can be particularly dangerous and can cause complications for some groups of people, including:
Certain health conditions can place you at increased risk of influenza-related problems including:
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Is the flu vaccine safe? |
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The flu vaccine is safe for anyone 6 months of age or older who does not have a contraindication to the flu vaccine. Flu vaccine is contraindicated in persons who had an anaphylactic reaction to the flu vaccine or to a component of the flu vaccine before. If you had an anaphylactic reaction to a flu vaccine before, a consultation with an allergist is recommended prior to flu vaccination. Persons with an egg or dog allergy can safely receive any influenza vaccine and do not need any special precautions or testing. |
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How can my workplace organize a flu clinic? |
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Workplaces that have an occupational health department can organize a clinic themselves with their own equipment. For more information about registering for the Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIPP), please visit the Ministry of Health's UIIP information page. If you have missed the application period you can call a local nursing agency to get more information on providing a clinic for your workplace. KFL&A Public Health cannot provide workplace clinics. |
Video transcript |
Text on the screen I got my flu shot to protect
rotating images of people my coworkers, my grammy and poppa, my friends, my long-term care residents, our community
Text on the screen Who will you get your flu shot for?
Text on the screen kflaph.ca/Flu
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