Get your yearly flu vaccine and updated COVID-19 vaccine, as soon as you are eligible, to protect you and your loved ones this respiratory season.
Influenza virus (the flu) is a virus that spreads easily. It infects the nose, throat and lungs. There are many strains that can cause illness. The flu is spread by droplets from people who are sick with the virus through a cough, sneeze or talking. These droplets can land in the mouth, nose or eyes of people who are close by (within a two-metre distance).
The symptoms are sudden onset of fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, headaches, chills, muscle aches, feeling tired, and loss of appetite. In children, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can occur. Children under five years of age, pregnant people, older adults, and people with health conditions are at the most risk of getting very sick. A flu infection can also lead to heart attacks, pneumonia and other serious lung infections and can make an existing health condition worse.
Getting the flu vaccine each year is the best way to prevent the flu. Vaccines are safe, effective and the best way to protect yourself against getting very sick. Vaccination is recommended for everyone aged six months of age and older. How much protection the vaccine gives depends on a person’s age and immune system.
Each year there is a new vaccine to try to match the strains that are expected to spread.
The vaccine can provide protection even when the match is not exact. Flu vaccines are about 50% effective in preventing the flu in healthy adults. The vaccine also reduces the risk of getting very sick from complications of an infection by 50%. The flu vaccine cannot make you sick from influenza because it does not contain any live virus. It takes two weeks for your body to develop an immune response from the vaccine.
Children under the age of nine years old who are getting their first ever dose of the flu vaccine are recommended to get a second dose at least four weeks after the first dose.
The flu can make older adults very sick. Two vaccines (Fluzone® QIV-HD, Fluad® TIV-adj) for seniors can give better protection. Both vaccines may cause soreness, redness and swelling where the vaccine was given, lasting a few days longer than the standard flu vaccine.
The most important thing is for older adults to be vaccinated. Do not delay vaccination to wait for a particular vaccine product.
The flu is more likely to cause illness that results in hospitalization in pregnant people compared to in people who are not pregnant. The flu may also be harmful for the developing baby. The flu vaccine is safe and recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding people to reduce the risk of getting very sick from the flu. Vaccination can also protect the fetus and newborn.
It is much safer to get the flu vaccine than to get the flu. Flu vaccines are safe, and side effects are usually mild and last only a few days. Common side effects include pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, headache, fever, muscle aches, joint pain or feeling tired. Side effects in children include irritability, drowsiness, or loss of appetite.
In rare cases, serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can occur. Seek medical attention if you have trouble breathing, rash or swelling of the face and throat. Allergic reactions can be treated and are usually temporary. The risk of Oculo-Respiratory Syndrome is very low. The risk of Guillain-Barré Syndrome after flu vaccination is also low, at about one case in a million flu vaccines given. The risk of Guillain-Barre Syndrome is higher following an influenza infection.
Always tell your health care provider if you have allergies or if you have had side effects from a vaccine in the past. This vaccine is not for people who have had any allergic reaction to flu vaccine (anaphylaxis) in the past or people who have had Guillain-Barré Syndrome (nerve damage causing muscle weakness or paralysis) within six weeks after flu vaccination. People with a history of Oculo-Respiratory Syndrome (presence of at least one of the following symptoms: red eyes, cough, wheeze, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, sore throat, or facial swelling) can get the vaccine but should speak with a health care provider first.
Children 6 months of age and older and adults can get the flu vaccine at the same time, before or after a COVID-19 vaccine or any other routine vaccines. Abrysvo® , the recently approved vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), can also be administered at the same time as the flu vaccine.
Flu vaccine appointments are available at: