As summer turns to fall and fall to winter, it is important to protect ourselves from the flu.
Influenza (the flu) is an illness that affects the whole world and reaches Canada every fall, making many people sick. While most cases of the flu occur in January and February, flu season can begin as early as November and stretch into April. While it doesn’t usually last more than a couple of weeks in most people, it can cause serious complications for some.
PREVENTION
The best way to prevent the flu is through vaccination. The virus that causes the flu is called influenza, and it changes from year to year, so the vaccines must change as well. Scientists around the world study the new strains of the virus, and they work to develop new vaccines that are effective against these new strains. There are a number of different flu vaccines available in Canada, and some are designed especially for people in certain age groups. Your healthcare provider will determine which vaccine you should receive.
It is best to get your flu shot each year as soon as possible after the new influenza vaccine becomes available–usually in October. It takes about two weeks after being vaccinated for your body to produce the antibodies that will protect you from the flu. Unless there are medical reasons why a person should not receive the vaccine, the Canadian National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that everyone six months of age and older should be vaccinated. Vaccination is particularly important in people who have a higher risk of developing serious complications. Among the groups that are considered to be at high risk are people with chronic health conditions, adults over age 65, anyone living in a long-term care facility, Indigenous peoples, and pregnant women.
Not only will being vaccinated help keep you healthy, it will also help others, because if you don’t catch the flu, you can’t pass the flu virus along to others. Some people cannot receive the vaccine due to health issues, and some of them have a high risk of developing serious complications from the flu. If everyone who could get a flu shot did get one, there would be fewer people in the community spreading the virus. By taking this step to prevent your own suffering from the flu, you could be saving someone else from a serious health problem.
In addition to getting vaccinated, other precautions you can take include:
- Avoid close contact with anyone who appears to be sick.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based cleanser.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your sleeve, dispose of the tissue properly, and wash
- your hands as soon as possible.
- Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Don’t share food, utensils, or personal items.
- Disinfect commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs and light switches.
- Practice healthy habits: eat nutritious foods, be physically active, drink plenty of fluids, get
- enough sleep, and manage your stress.
NOT JUST THE FLU
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 several years ago, new strains of the COVID virus have appeared, and new vaccines have been developed in response. Another new COVID vaccine will become available this fall. Make sure your COVID shots are up to date.
Other vaccines commonly recommended for adults are:
- Shingles vaccine: Shingles is a viral infection caused by re-activation of the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus that causes chickenpox. After exposure to chickenpox, the virus lays dormant in the body and can be reactivated later in life due to a stimulus such as stress or illness. Shingles often causes a painful blistering rash that appears in a line on one side of the body and is often accompanied by nerve pain. The pain can last for several months after the rash disappears. Some people can even experience a loss of hearing or vision or other complications. The shingles vaccine is recommended for adults 50 years and older and for immunocompromised individuals 18 years and older. The vaccine series requires a total of two doses spread over two to six months, and it is important to get both doses.
- Pneumococcal vaccines: Pneumococcal vaccines protect against bacteria that can cause pneumonia, a lung infection characterized by severe cough and chest pain. Vulnerable people including older adults can get so sick that it can lead to hospitalization or even death. Pneumococcal vaccines are recommended for all adults 65 years and older, for adults 50 to 64 years of age with chronic medical conditions or other risk factors, and for adults 18 to 49 years of age with risk factors. Long-lasting protection is usually achieved with a single dose of vaccine.
- MMR vaccine: Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) are conditions caused by highly contagious viruses. Measles can result in symptoms of fever, red eyes, cough, and a rash. Mumps often causes painful swollen glands, and rubella can cause a fever and a rash as well. Individuals born before 1970 are assumed immune because of widespread disease before an effective vaccine was widely available in 1971. If you were exposed to someone who had measles or if you had measles yourself, you likely have natural immunity now. MMR vaccine is now part of routine childhood immunization programs, and it is less common for kids to get these illnesses. For adults, a single dose of the vaccine is recommended for people born after 1970, healthcare workers, travelers, and for other individuals at risk.
- HPV vaccine: Human papillomavirus (HPV), is a virus that can cause genital and common warts. It is also the most common sexually transmitted infection in Canada, infecting over 70% of sexually active adults in their lifetime. HPV is responsible for almost all cases of cervical cancer as well as head and neck cancers and other genital cancers. Not all HPV infections lead to cancer, but the there is an effective vaccine that can help prevent HPV infections and reduce your risk of developing these cancers. School age children are offered this vaccine as part of routine vaccination programs. It is also recommended for unimmunized adults up to age 45 and sometimes for older adults who are at continued risk, such as having new or multiple sexual partners. Speak to a healthcare professional about whether HPV vaccine would be appropriate you. For adults, the vaccine series requires a total of three doses spread over a six-month timeframe.
- Tetanus vaccine: Tetanus is a disease of the nervous system caused by a bacteria called Clostridium tetani and results in painful tightening of muscles over the body. People can be exposed to this bacterium through cuts, scrapes, and puncture wounds. Tetanus vaccines are provided as part of routine childhood vaccine programs. A single booster dose of the vaccine is recommended for all adults over the age of 18 and for pregnant women between 27 and 32 weeks of each pregnancy to protect their babies. Additionally, everyone should get booster doses every ten years for ongoing protection and after certain injuries or animal bites. The vaccine is available in two formulations, tetanus-diphtheria (Td) or tetanus-diphtheria-pertussis (Tdap).
Take our quick one-minute quiz to see which vaccines are recommended for you. The quiz is available at londondrugs.com/vaccine-screening. Then speak to your pharmacist for more information about each vaccine and to learn about public (free) vaccine programs or insurance coverage.
