Annual influenza vaccine campaign kicks off in Interior Health
By Interior Health Authority
Interior Health is calling on everyone to protect themselves and increase immunity in our community by getting their annual influenza (flu) vaccine. New this year, the influenza vaccine (flu shot) is available free of charge to everyone six months of age and older, at pharmacies and clinics throughout the region.
“Everyone is at risk of influenza and spreading it to others, and as we continue to face the challenges of COVID-19, we encourage all British Columbians to get immunized,” says Dr. Sue Pollock, Interior Health interim chief medical health officer. “Now that the influenza vaccine is available at no cost to everyone who wants one, there’s no better time.”
Getting your influenza vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from illness this winter. It is also a critical step to keeping the spread of influenza low in the community and through our health system.
Last year, public health measures including handwashing, mask use and physical distancing helped reduce the spread of COVID-19 as well as influenza.
While influenza can make anyone sick, some people are at increased risk of severe disease and complications, including: children under five years of age, people who are pregnant, Aboriginal, over the age of 65 years, and those with underlying chronic health conditions.
The influenza vaccine is available through your pharmacist, community health-care provider (e.g., family physician, nurse practitioner, nurse), First Nations community health nurse, or your local health unit. To find an influenza clinic or provider near you, visit ImmunizeBC.ca and click on “Find a Clinic,” call 8-1-1, or contact your local pharmacy, physician’s office, or public health unit.
For more information about the influenza season and influenza vaccines visit: 2021-2022 Seasonal Influenza Campaign.
Interior Health is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and providing a wide range of quality health-care services to more than 750,000 people living across B.C.’s vast interior. For more information, visit www.interiorhealth.ca, follow us on Twitter @Interior_Health, follow us on Instagram @interiorhealthbc, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/InteriorHealth.
