At Juniper Pharmacy in downtown Kelowna, BC, flu shots are still available, but only for those over 65.
“We’ve been out of flu shots for 64 years or less,” said pharmacist Craig Plain, adding that demand for flu shots is still high.
“We’re still getting five to 10 phone calls every day about the flu shot,” he said.
“It’s hard to say no to someone. So when people call, I try to redirect them to other pharmacies where I suspect they might have some left over.”
Read more: Flu season hits BC earlier than expected, disproportionately affecting children
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Flu season hits BC earlier than expected, disproportionately affecting children
Global News contacted 14 Kelowna pharmacies on Tuesday to inquire about their flu vaccine supply.
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Seven said they had run out of or only had the flu shot for the over-65s.
These pharmacies added that they did not know when, or if, they would be restocked.
It’s a sentiment echoed at Juniper Pharmacy.
“Our understanding is that the flu shots are sold out through our wholesalers, so we don’t expect any more at the pharmacy level,” Plain told Global News.
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In an email to Global News, the BC Pharmacy Association, which distributes the vaccine to pharmacies, said pharmacies have more than enough supply to meet the expected demand for flu shots this year.
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The association went on to say that in terms of ordering vaccines, flu vaccine supplies arrived with distributors on Tuesday, and all pharmacies can order from their distributors.
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That’s promising news, considering that this year’s flu season has arrived much earlier than in years past.
“In the years before the pandemic, we saw these numbers typically increase in late December into January and February,” Dr. Fatemeh Sabet said. “But now we’re seeing a dramatic increase in November.”
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Along with the increase in cases, the Interior Health Authority (IHA) says there has been an increase in emergency room visits.
“In our pediatric population, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in emergency room visits,” Sabet said.
“This rate has decreased slightly over the past two weeks for the pediatric population, but remains high for the adult population.”
According to the IHA, 20% of the region’s population has received the flu vaccine and is calling for more people to get vaccinated.
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“There’s a lot of room for improvement,” Sabet said.
“And I especially encourage children and families with children to get vaccinated. There’s still time to get a flu shot.”
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