Why Doctors Think You Should Get A Flu Vaccination This Year — And Immediately

• Too many people with the flu or flu-related complications can put pressure on the healthcare system and may already be under tension due to COVID-19.

• High vaccination rate Reduce demand for COVID-19 testing, Because influenza and COVID-19 have similar symptoms. Many test centers have recently experienced long queues and waiting times due to the surge in demand.

• As with any existing lung disease, influenza can also increase the risk of COVID-19 complications.

“If you get the flu, you’re more likely to catch a cold in the hospital and die of COVID-19,” said Dr. Iris Golfinkel, a family doctor and vaccine researcher at Prime Health Clinical Research in Toronto. ..

This year, the federal government has raised awareness of the flu vaccine, especially among people at high risk for influenza and influenza-related complications, including the elderly, those with a weakened immune system, and those with chronic medical conditions. , Said to advertise.

See | Ask for increased access to COVID-19 tests:

Is the demand for shots increasing this year?

There seems to be. May, Online survey Of 1,912 Adult Canadians

• Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they would be vaccinated this year or perhaps, while 45% were vaccinated last year.
• Twenty-six percent of those who were not vaccinated last season said they were definitely vaccinated this year and are more likely to be vaccinated due to COVID-19.

The survey was commissioned by the Canadian Pharmacist Association and conducted by voting firm Pollara Strategic Insights.

Doctors like Gofinkel also said he received more inquiries from patients than usual, saying “people are biting a bit to get a flu shot this year.”

And it’s not just the elderly and adults. Dr. Daniel Flanders, a pediatrician in Toronto and clinical director of Kindercare Pediatrics, seems to be eager for parents to vaccinate their children this year.

See | Canadians have been vaccinated against the flu and urged to avoid “colds”:

When and can people get it?

According to Health Canada, states typically launch influenza vaccination programs in October or November.

The British Columbia Department of Health said the state will begin vaccination against influenza vaccines from mid-September to November this year and will be available to health authorities for distribution to local authorities within the next week. ..

PEI ordered additional dose, Ordered early To make the vaccine available in late September.

Meanwhile, Ontario’s Ministry of Health told CBC News this week that timing details are “soon available.”

Gofinkel encourages patients to be vaccinated against the flu “on the first occasion.”

This includes patients over the age of 65 who have a weak immune system. They are usually told to get a special version of a higher dose flu shot, but it may not be widely available immediately after a regular flu shot. Golfinkel does not recommend that older people wait for higher doses if they have the opportunity to get a regular flu shot sooner.

“More important is timely vaccination,” Gorfinkel said, noting that it would take two weeks just to get an immune response after firing.

See | WHO urges influenza vaccination to alleviate COVID-19:

What is being done to ensure supply and access?

Health Canada said states and territories are responsible for determining the amount of vaccine to purchase for individual vaccination programs. This year, they ordered nearly 13.8 million doses, 2.6 million (23%) more by this time of 2019.

In addition, the federal government has created “small reserves” that states and territories can access as needed.

“No supply problems are expected this year,” Health Canada added in an email.

British Columbia’s Ministry of Health said it ordered the vaccine 19.65 million times, or 442,600 times (29%) more than last year. Saying it is working on a plan for a flu campaign that takes into account higher demand, it seeks to identify potential large public places in the community where health authorities want to host vaccination clinics.

The Ministry of Health in Newfoundland and Labrador said they had purchased 425,400 doses. And we are aiming for an immunization rate of 80%, A significant increase from last year when 158,000 doses were given. Usually, about 25-30% of the population is vaccinated.

In Ontario, the Ministry of Health said this week that the number of doses it mandates is “still being discussed through a national process.”

See | What happens if COVID-19 collides with the flu season? :

What challenges can you face?

Gofinkel said he was concerned about some potential issues.

• There may not be enough vaccines to meet the demandBecause no one knows what the actual demand will be. The government ordered more vaccines than usual, but “whether it proves enough to be seen,” she said.
• It may not be distributed where it is needed. For example, in Ontario’s current system, it’s up to the doctor to decide the order quantity, Goffinkel said. There may be too many orders and others who need them will not have access to those doses.
• Access issues related to pandemics. Gorfinkel pointed out that instead of allowing potential congestion at pharmacies offering shots, walk-ins in public places and zero tolerance for cold symptoms, reservations should be made. This can make it difficult for some people to get shots in a timely manner.

At PEI, pharmacists demanded more money from the state Offset high costs With additional staff personal protection for pre-screening, scheduling, monitoring, and off-site or drive-through flu clinics.

Gofinkel said he is trying to plan ahead to ensure access to Toronto patients.

“We may make more home visits to make that happen,” he said. “I don’t understand it yet.”

Flanders agreed that a pandemic would make flu shots more difficult.

“For all the safety measures we have to take, it will be much more difficult for us to vaccinate the number of people we went to last year,” he added.

Given all of these issues, he believes that influenza vaccination should be rolled out earlier this year.

“It’s not too early to start now,” he said. “I think I’m in trouble if I don’t start after early to mid-October,” he said.

Flanders said he was trying to get information from Heath, Ontario about when the flu vaccination program could start and if it would look different from other years.

“What we hear is crickets when reaching out to the state and local public health departments,” he said. “It’s kind of straining us … it’s catastrophic because we have two really dangerous viruses that circulate very quickly together if we don’t act really quickly.”