Everybody needs a flu shot this time of year, including you

Richmond Hill resident Meghan Celestial, 12, recently received her flu shot from Colleen Nielsen.

Flu season is here, and vaccine is once again available for free to all Ontario residents.

York Region Health Services encourages residents to get their flu shot as early as they can.

Influenza, commonly called the flu, is caused by a virus that is easy to catch and easy to spread. The flu season generally runs from mid November to April each year. Flu symptoms include a headache, muscle aches, cough, sore throat, fever, fatigue and weakness. The flu can lead to more serious illnesses which may result in hospitalization or even death.

Each year many York residents are affected by influenza. A flu shot coupled with good health protection practices, such as proper and frequent hand washing or staying home from work or school when you are sick, can minimize the risk of illness for residents and their families.

A particular focus of this year's campaign is to encourage the immunization of people who are at risk of developing serious complications from influenza. These include people with serious long-term health problems, such as heart, kidney or lung (including asthma) disease, diabetes, cancer, blood disorders or weak immune system.

"Another group that is encouraged to get their flu shot are people who live, work, or volunteer in a health care or longterm care facility, chronic care institution or retirement home," said Dr Karim Kurji, acting Medical Officer of Health and director of Public Health Programs. "These people can easily and unintentionally transmit the virus to those individuals who may be more susceptible to suffering severe complications from the influenza virus."

Influenza vaccine has been shown to prevent illness in approximately 70 to 90 per cent of healthy children and adults. The flu is much worse than a cold. Even healthy young people can become very sick and develop serious complications.

Residents can get their flu shot from their physician, participating workplace or at one of the many York Region Health Services community flu clinics.

What else should you know?

Influenza is not what is commonly called the "stomach flu," and does not usually include vomiting and diarrhea, which are caused by different viruses. The vaccine cannot give you the flu because it does not contain any live virus. Also, this vaccine does not protect against avian flu, which is a bird illness circulating in parts of Asia and Europe.

The flu usually lasts for five to 10 days, but the cough and weakness can last for as long as six weeks. Often, people who get the flu cannot go to work for several days.

Protection from the vaccine develops about one to two weeks after the shot, and may last up to one year. The vaccine is about 70 to 90 per cent effective in preventing influenza infection in healthy children and adults. In the elderly, the vaccine can prevent pneumonia and hospitalization in about six out of 10 people, and prevent death in about eight out of 10 people.

A small number of people who get a flu shot may still get the flu, but not as seriously as if they were unvaccinated.

The viruses that cause the flu change from year to year. Therefore, a new vaccine is made every year. People need to be vaccinated every fall to be protected against the flu. The flu shot cannot give you the flu. The vaccine does not contain any live virus.

Health Canada and the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) statement for the 2006-2007 Season recommend the flu shot for all healthy children and adults every year, and particularly for: + people with a serious long term health problem, such as heart, kidney or lung (including asthma) disease; + people with diabetes, cancer, a blood disorder or a weak immune system; + people who live, work or volunteer in a health care or long-term care facility, chronic care institution or retirement home; + people 65 years of age or over; + healthy children aged six to 23 months; + those who live with a person who is at increased risk of complications from flu; + those who provide regular care for children aged up to 23 months, both in and out of the home; + emergency services workers (paramedic, firefighter or police); + pregnant women who are expected to deliver during flu season; + breastfeeding women.

For more information on this or any other healthrelated questions, please contact York Region Health Services Health Connection at 1-800-361-5653 (toll free) or visit www.york.ca