Medical science is making it easier for people to immunize themselves against influenza. This year, if you have an aversion to needles, you may simply ask a participating pharmacist to spray the vaccine up your nose.
Whether or not a nose job appeals to you, getting a flu vaccination may not only save your own life. It could also protect your family, friends and co-workers against the ravages of the virus.
Influenza affects people differently depending upon their health. Some lucky souls may only feel a bit under the weather with perhaps only a headache as a symptom. Others develop severe complications and the young and the old are especially vulnerable.
“Every year people with influenza are hospitalized in Alberta. Some die. Those most likely to be hospitalized are children under two years of age and adults older than 65,” said Dr. Marcia Johnson, medical officer of health for Edmonton.
Alberta Health provides free flu vaccination shots to all Albertans over the age of two. Those free vaccinations are available at health clinics, from family physicians and also at many pharmacies.
“The pharmacist needs certification,” Johnson said.
Nasal vaccinations are administered by pharmacists, and there is normally a fee associated with the procedure, because it is not covered by Alberta Health.
“The nasal vaccinations are a live vaccine and are usually called LAIV, which stands for Live, Intranasal Influenza Vaccine. The dead vaccine is administered with a needle,” said pharmacist Alex Chiu, owner of The Medicine Shoppe in St. Albert, who is qualified to administer both forms of vaccinations.
LAIV is only available to people between the ages of two and 59.
“It is not given to the elderly, because there have been no studies for that age group,” Chiu said.
Johnson admitted that while vaccines are safe and effective, in rare instances people have suffered adverse reactions.
“The adverse instances are very rare. But getting influenza is not rare. Every winter about 25 per cent of the population gets the flu and people ending up in ICU because of influenza is not rare,” she said.
In St. Albert the Influenza Immunization clinic located in Grandin Park Plaza is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Morinville clinic located in the Seniors’ Rendez-Vous Club is open Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It’s also open Tuesday, Nov. 8 and Thursday Nov. 17 from 12:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Legal flu clinic will be held Friday, Nov. 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Legal Club 60 Roses.
