It’s happening already: students, coworkers, and friends are out sick as we enter cold and flu season. At this time of year especially, it’s beneficial to be mindful of practices that can reduce the risk of becoming ill.
Vulnerable populations
Influenza vaccinations are one way of combatting flu season. In particular, Dr. Phil Fourie of Menzies Medical Centre in Morden encourages anyone at risk to get their shot, including children from six months to five years old, adults over 65, pregnant people, and anyone with chronic illnesses, especially lung diseases like asthma, COPD, and emphysema.
Two birds, one stone
Dr. Fourie says that this year, those in for the flu shot can get a COVID-19 vaccination as well.
“We didn't do it last year, but we're seeing that most people want both, so that's what we're offering,” he says. “You can do both at the same time. I think that's kind of a misconception — sometimes you can only do one, but you can do both [here].”
There will be a vaccination clinic on Wednesday, October 30th, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Wednesday, November 6th, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Menzies Medical Centre by appointment. To book, a valid Manitoba Health card is required. The centre can be reached at 204-822-4474 to reserve a slot.
Dr. Fourie adds that anyone interested in a vaccine can also get it at their local pharmacy.
The purpose of a vaccine
Regardless of where one gets it, the flu vaccine functions in the same way: it teaches the body how to fight incoming viruses. According to Dr. Fourie, this process does not involve introducing the virus to the body, as it is often thought.
“You just get an immune response, that's what we're doing,” he says. “We're giving basically the outer coating of the virus, not the virus, and so the immune system recognizes it and then has a response. That's your body's way of making the antibodies or the sort of soldiers that fight when the actual virus or disease comes.”
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Dr. Fourie says that the flu vaccine every autumn is slightly different. It is developed with the trends of Influenza strains in the southern hemisphere in mind.
“They sort of predict what they think is going to be happening,” says Dr. Fourie. “They don't always get it right, but this is the only way to do it because it takes so long to make a shot.”
Dr. Fourie adds that while the vaccine cannot eradicate Influenza, the objective is to reduce the severity of sickness in the community to prevent serious complications and even death in extreme cases.
“The whole point of a flu shot or any vaccine really is to prevent severe disease. It doesn't prevent the actual disease from happening,” he says. “It's just trying to prevent . . . the ER visit, the urgent care visit, or the ICU admission.”
To keep up-to-date on what’s happening at Menzies Medical Centre, see its website here.
~With files from Jayme Giesbrecht~