Influenza

 Where can I get my flu shot?

Starting in October, the flu vaccine will be available to the following individuals in the KFL&A region ONLY:

• Hospitalized individuals and hospital staff
• Long term care home residents and staff
• Health care providers
• Those at high risk for flu related complications or hospitalization:
  • All pregnant people
  • Residents of nursing homes or other chronic care facilities
  • ≥ 65 years of age
  • 6 to 59 months of age
• Indigenous peoples
• Adults or children 6 months of age and over with the following chronic health conditions:
  • Cardiac or pulmonary disorders
  • Diabetes mellitus or other metabolic disease
  • Cancer
  • Conditions or medication which compromise the immune system
  • Renal disease
  • Anemia or hemoglobinopathy
  • Neurologic or neurodevelopment conditions
  • Body mass index of ≥40
  • Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years) undergoing treatment with acetylsalicylic acid for long periods

You can get your flu shot from:

• Your primary care provider or family doctor
• Your local pharmacist
  • Pharmacies can give flu shots to those with or without an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they will give you your flu vaccine.

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: 

• Your primary care provider or family doctor
• Your local pharmacist
  • Pharmacies can give flu shots to those with or without an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they will give you your flu vaccine. 
• A KFL&A Public Health flu shot clinic. Clinics are for those who are between 6 months and 2 years of age who do not have a health care provider, and their household members.

What can I do to prevent the flu? 

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:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm, not your hand.
• If you are sick, stay at home
• Do not visit hospitalized patients or residents of retirement homes or long-term care homes if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

What is the difference between a cold and flu? 

What can I do to ease symptoms if I have the flu?

If you have flu-like symptoms, including a fever, a cough, severe headache or chills, be sure to:

• Rest
• Drink lots of fluids
• Take basic pain or fever relievers if needed

If I have the flu, when should I call my doctor?

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

 Who is at risk?

• Older adults 65 years of age and older
• Pregnant women
• Infants and children younger than 5 years old
• People with weakened immune systems
• Residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities

Certain health conditions can place you at increased risk of influenza-related problems including:

• Asthma
• Neurological conditions
• Chronic lung disease
• Endocrine disorders
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Metabolic disorders
• Blood disorders
• Obesity
• Heart disease

Is the flu vaccine safe? 

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.

Learn more about the flu vaccine.

How can my workplace organize a flu clinic?

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I got my flu shot to protect

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my coworkers, my grammy and poppa, my friends, my long-term care residents, our community

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Who will you get your flu shot for?

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kflaph.ca/Flu