hide caption. Now scientists are just beginning to learn that these vaccines may offer some unexpected advantages to the immune system. “Every year during flu season we see people that are vulnerable have to go to the hospital,” said Dr. Azim Kasmani, public health and preventive medicine resident physician at Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington Public Health. So the BCG vaccine could be approved — and available — by early next year, he says. ¥ Flu vaccine effectiveness data are based on the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN) influenza vaccine effectiveness estimates accessed here. You can help protect yourself against the flu by getting the flu vaccine. Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or attends school in Ontario is eligible to receive the publicly funded flu vaccine. * Influenza laboratory test-positivity data for influenza seasons prior to the 2016-2017 season are unavailable for the City of Ottawa. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Having both illnesses at the same time could put you at a higher risk for severe illness. This year’s B/Victoria vaccine component was updated from a B/Colorado/06/2017 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus to a … Scientists predict which strains will be most likely to affect us for the coming year. "You watch," Gallo says. Canada has 245 per million. “I think there will be more demand and more people seeking it out, so we want to make sure that the influenza vaccine is available for people to get,” he said. They supercharge our body's front-line defenders — the cells that first recognize an invader and try to clear it out before the infection gets out of control, Zhou says. Flu vaccine is produced by private manufacturers, so supply depends on manufacturers. It's not just BCG that seems to have this effect. “In terms of our vaccination clinics, we obviously have to take a different approach this year,” said Dr. Vinita Dubey, an associate medical officer of health for the city. According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, there are approximately 3,500 deaths related to influenza on average each year in Canada. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. update Article was updated Jul. The logistics of delivering the vaccine will be more challenging than last year, or in 2009 during H1N1, when everyone could at least be in the same room for a large vaccination clinic. All 25, 2020. For the latest public health information, you can contact Ottawa Public Health Information Centre at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656) or on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth). permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com. Unlike America, where the coronavirus is a train wreck, here it’s merely chugging along, especially in Ontario, where the classrooms are packed, testing centres are lined up and the number of COVID cases is steadily rising. The key is getting the right flu vaccine, says Gallo, who was one of the main scientists credited with discovering HIV. "Whether it is a cold, flu or COVID, the symptoms overlap.". Move it up on your list. Your doctor or nurse practitioner can answer any questions you might have. Get the flu shot at Kaiser Permanente and protect yourself and your family from the flu. We could accomplish this by listening to epidemiologists or mimicking countries that have achieved successful COVID-19 control with smaller class sizes, meaningful shutdowns, further restrictions on non-essential businesses, mandatory mask rules with real teeth and plenty of proper protective equipment for essential workers. It’s also going to be hard to tell if you have the flu or COVID, because the symptoms are very similar, so it’s best to avoid getting the flu if you can, he said. Getting your annual flu vaccine is an important way to help protect yourself, your family and vulnerable people in your community against seasonal flu. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution When more people get their flu vaccine, the odds of the flu virus spreading goes down. Quadrivalent influenza vaccines  (covers 4 strains of influenza virus), Two influenza A viruses (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2), Two influenza B viruses (B/Washington and B/Phuket), High-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (covers 3 strains of influenza virus), Two influenza A viruses (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2). Data extracted from the iPHIS database represent a snapshot at the time of extraction and can be different in previous or subsequent reports. ∞ Highest % of samples submitted for testing that were positive for influenza during a single week. “The flu shot is important this year and every year … but we really need them to go this year because it’s going to be a very important part of our pandemic response,” she said. People might have to “wait outside or in their cars” and if you’re one of the 28 per cent of households (mine included) who don’t have a car, bundle up. According to Worldometer , Australia not only beat the flu, it also has only 34 COVID-19 deaths per million people. In previous years, they would have had to go to a doctor. The race is on for a COVID-19 vaccine, with scientists working around the clock to discover the key to stopping the potentially deadly disease. The UIIP offers influenza vaccine free of charge each year to all individuals six months of age and older who live, work or go to school in Ontario. Scientists have had a hard time believing the evidence because the idea goes against the way they thought vaccines work, says immunologist Zhou Xing at McMasters University in Ontario. Republication or distribution of this content is Health officials said getting the shot is even more important than usual to help reduce the strain on the health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, you've probably already had a few "live, attenuated" vaccines in your lifetime, such as the measles vaccine or oral polio vaccine. "More than 130 million kids every year — every year — receive the BCG vaccine so the safety profile has been very strong," Arditi says. But health officials are also planning for how they can safely administer hundreds of thousands of doses of a vaccine that’s already available, to prevent a perfect storm of infection in the fall. The following provides information about the Ontario Ministry of Health (the ministry's) Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIIP) for the 2020/2021 influenza season. Better Strength, Better Balance! The supply is managed by the Ministry of Health. Admittedly, we’re still better here than the United States, which has 626 deaths per million and counting. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. Droplets are the most common culprit with flu, since they can be spread up to six feet apart, according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Protection. Of course, if everyone was as attentive to social distancing as the pharmacists are, we wouldn’t have to worry as much about flu or COVID-19, since they’re both transmitted in pretty similar ways. Last week, the Pediatrician Alliance of Ontario launched a petition urging the Ontario government to prevent an “emergent public health crisis looming before us.” And this week, the provincial government announced that it would buy 5.1 million flu shots, which is 700,000 more than what was used (not necessarily bought) last year. 1:46 Ontario pharmacies experiencing shortages of flu vaccine amid increased demand WATCH ABOVE: An increase in demand for the flu vaccine has left pharmacies across Ontario … Pharmacists at the Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacy at Conestoga Mall said the demand has been "noticeably higher" this year, which is positive. Download our fact sheet on What You Need to Know About COVID-19. It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. You may feel more tired than usual and have a lower appetite. Republication or distribution of this content is The vaccine will trigger your body to fight off infection if you come into contact with the flu. ‡ First week when 5% or more of samples submitted for laboratory testing were positive for influenza.

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