It is flu shot season; will you get yours?
London Drugs pharmacist Gianni del Negro says Squamish residents, and everyone in B.C., should make an extra effort to get one this year.
"If enough people get the flu vaccine, it makes it much, much more difficult for the flu virus to spread amongst people because it doesn't have enough hosts to spread through," del Negro said.
But why get a flu shot if everyone is taking extra precautions and social distancing due to COVID-19?
Despite people's best efforts to follow pandemic protocols, germs may get through and people can still get sick with the flu, he added.
"The problem this year is we are going to have both flu and COVID circulating at the same time. Because the symptoms are going to be fairly similar between the two, it is going to be really difficult to distinguish if it is flu or it is COVID," he told The Chief.
"If we can try to minimize the number of people that can get the flu, then we are not going to overwhelm our testing system — right now we don't want to do that [because] we only have the ability to do so many tests a day. You can imagine if everyone starts coming down with flu, the whole testing system is going to be inundated."
The flu shot, even if you are healthy, helps minimize the risk for others, especially for the elderly and those with other conditions that put them in higher risk, he said.
"It is going to be a very, very difficult year."
The World Health Organization determines what is going to be in the flu vaccine for the western hemisphere based on what happens in the southern hemisphere.
"Based on the strains that circulate there, the World Health Organization determines what is going to be in our flu vaccine for our flu season."
Del Negro stressed that some people have the misconception that they can get the flu from the vaccine, but that is impossible, he said.
"In terms of the actual shot itself, you cannot get the flu from the flu shot because it is an inactivated virus. So, in other words, they are using a portion of the virus to produce an immune response. It is not a whole virus, so it is impossible for you to get the flu."
There are some possible side effects from the flu shot, he acknowledged. The arm where the shot was injected can be sore; some people develop a slight fever as their body produces antibodies to protect itself.
"It is usually very mild and only lasts 24 to 48 hours," he said. "It is not like the flu at all."
Some people can't get a flu shot, for example, if they are allergic or undergoing chemotherapy, so it is important those who can, do, he added.
There's nothing natural that boosts the immunity the way a flu shot does.
"You want to eat well. You want to be as unstressed as possible — which during COVID is very difficult for a lot of people — drink lots of fluids, stay as healthy as you can," he said. "That is going to be helpful to your immune system, but is it going to prevent you from getting a cold or flu? No. You still need a flu shot to fully protect yourself."
A recent survey conducted by Insights West on behalf of London Drugs found that seven in 10 respondents (72%) said they will get a flu shot this year, up from 10% over last year.
"We are having a huge demand for flu vaccine this year. Every year seems to grow a little bit more but this year it is definitely going up much higher," said del Negro.
"This time last year, we maybe had 20 or 30 phone calls. This year, it is every day we are getting calls and the booking appointments have already started and there is a huge demand."
Australia had a massive demand as well, he said.
"We don't have a vaccine for COVID. We do have a vaccine for the flu, so if there is one less thing we can worry about, it is going to be beneficial for everybody."
The provincial government did take into account the likelihood of greater demand for the shot and did order more doses this year, so it is less likely they could run out, del Negro said.
In terms of a vaccine for COVID-19, he said it is hard to say when it might be available.
"It is not likely it is going to be out until spring at the earliest or maybe even the summer," he said. "But possibly later than that. It all depends on how effective and whether the results come back positive."
The shots are due to be available this week or next in Squamish at local drugstores. Check with your favourite location to find out more.
