Influenza immunizations have begun in Lethbridge as hundreds of residents made their way to Exhibition Park for the first free flu clinic of the year.
Among them were many community members, parents and children, returning for their annual vaccinations.
“We get our flu shots every year because we know that these little guys are defenseless,” Alicia Davis said.
She and her son arrived at Exhibition Park bright and early to receive their vaccinations.
“So we want to make sure that if he is going to catch a cold then it’s not going to be as bad.”
Davis and her son Emerson aren’t only protecting themselves; they’re also protecting all those around them.
“It’s very important for us to get these shots for the people who cannot get theirs,” Davis said. “If they cannot get their flu shots then we need to be able to protect them as well.
“So by him having his, then we can protect someone else.”
It’s a virus that hospitalized more than 3,000 Albertans last year and was the primary cause of more than 90 deaths in the province, but these clinics help decrease those numbers by offering free immunization.
Officials say vaccines are one of the most effective ways to keep the flu at bay but they also offered several other tips for fighting off the seasonal bug.
“Vaccines obviously is one method we encourage,” Lizette Elimur, a health officer with Alberta Health Services south zone said.
“And of course we’re reminding people when you’re sick, stay home, cough into your sleeve and all those things that can prevent this bug.”
Officials are also urging everyone over the age of six months to get a new flu shot each year, as strains of influenza are subject to constant change.
A full list of flu clinics can be found at www.ahs.ca/influenza
Influenza vaccines are also offered at several pharmacies across the city.
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