Friday, October 16, 2015
Middlesex-London Health Unit
MLHU to no longer offer flu shot at community clinics
The Middlesex-London Health Unit will no longer offer the flu shot at community influenza clinics.
It’s due, in part, to declining attendance at their clinics in recent years, along with an increase in the number of other locations offering the vaccine.
“I think that’s happened in part because there are other places or other opportunities for people to get the flu shot,” said Marlene Price, manager of the Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Program.
“Some work places have community clinics, and since 2012, pharmacies have been able to administer flu shots to those over five years (old).”
Price said the number of people getting the flu shot has not changed.
“People are chosing to go other places to get them. We’re getting about the same number of people who are getting flu shots. They’re all very convenient places for people to go, and if they’re getting their flu shot, that’s what’s important, where they get it not so important.”
Last flu season, the first laboratory confirmed case in London-Middlesex was identified on September 29th, while the final case was diagnosed in mid-June.
Ontario is also introducing a new nasal spray flu vaccine this year as an alternative to an injection in the arm.
The nasal spray, which will be available starting Oct. 26 for children aged 2 to 17, will offer protection against four flu viruses instead of three. The added protection is against a B-strain of the flu that affects children and youth more frequently than adults.
Parents will still have the option of having their children’s flu vaccine delivered via a needle.
Adults will still be given the shot in the arm that the government says will help protect against three flu viruses this year.
The Ministry of Health says up to 20 per cent of Canadians get sick every year with the flu, which sends about 12,000 to hospital and kills about 3,500 people annually.
Last year, there were 381 laboratory confirmed cases of the flu, and 14 deaths in London-Middlesex, both of those numbers were down from each of the previous two years.
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