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BC health officials strongly recommend that people get a flu shot and a bivalent booster against the latest coronavirus variants
Publication date:
October 12, 2022 • 21 minutes ago • 2 minutes read • Join the conversation British Columbia is offering free COVID-19 boosters and flu shots this fall and winter. Postmedia News photo
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COVID-19 is far from the only threat to your health, and the health system’s overall capacity, heading into the fall and winter.
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BC health officials are strongly recommending that people get a flu shot and a bivalent booster against the latest variants of the coronavirus.
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“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect ourselves and our communities, and we’ve made it easy for British people to do so,” Health Secretary Adrian Dix said on Tuesday, as the first supplies of measles vaccines flu were available to the public.
“We continue to offer free flu shots to everyone, and seniors can now get more protection with an improved vaccine. To make it even easier, many people will be able to get their flu and COVID-19 shots at the same time.”
After two years of low flu rates in BC due to travel restrictions, socializing and widespread masking, health officials are predicting an increase in flu cases this fall and winter. Cases of COVID-19 are also expected to rise as more people gather indoors and travel.
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Now is the time to get your flu shot
Starting October 11, flu shots are widely available at no cost at participating pharmacies, health clinics, and some doctor’s offices. From October 3, elderly people and people at high risk of serious diseases can receive the vaccine.
If you are registered with the Get Vaccinated system, you should automatically receive an invitation to book a flu shot, a COVID booster, or both. Walk-ins are also available, or you can call 1-833-838-2323 to make an appointment.
Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, says flu shots are more important than ever after two years of health restrictions that limited people’s exposure to the nasty bug.
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“Getting a flu shot is especially important this year because our immunity to the virus has waned after two years of low flu rates,” says Henry.
Officials north of the equator watch what happens during the fall and winter in the southern hemisphere to help predict the type and severity of the flu season here. This evidence shows that the season started earlier and was more widespread this autumn-winter than in 2020 or 2021.
An improved flu vaccine – the Fluad trivalent adjuvanted vaccine – is available to everyone aged 65 and over for free. It provides better protection than a standard dose for those who are at greater risk of serious illness and complications due to a natural weakening of the immune system with age.
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BC will have 1.8 million flu vaccine doses available in 2022-23, including more than 660,000 of the improved doses.
“Nearly 1,300 community pharmacies in British Columbia offer flu shots,” says Jamie Wigston, president of the BC Pharmacy Association. “With both the COVID-19 and flu vaccine, we anticipate that pharmacists will deliver three million vaccines to British Columbians this season.”
More information about the flu can be found on the BC Center for Disease Control website.
For more health news and content on diseases, conditions, wellness, healthy living, medications, treatments and more, go to Healthing.ca, a member of the Postmedia Network.
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