Interior Health is asking regional residents to get vaccinated against the latest strains of influenza.
Public health officials say it’s especially important this year because the flu mimics some of the symptoms of COVID-19.
“Everybody that’s close to you and everybody that might be vulnerable as well,” said Dr. Albert de Villiers. “Make sure they have all got vaccine on board to protect them against influenza.”
He continued, saying “if you get vaccinated against influenza, at least there’s one we can eliminate basically, and say you most likely don’t have influenza because you had the vaccine, so we can focus on the COVID diagnosis.”
Pharmacists like Brett Federko at Pharmasave in downtown Kelowna are encouraging people to roll up their sleeves and make an appointment.
“The sooner you book, the sooner we can get you in,” said Federko.
According to Interior Health, almost 16,000 doses of the flu vaccine have been administered across the region already.
And if demand on local pharmacies becomes too much, IHA says it will step in with plan B.
“If those wait times get too long,” said de Villiers, “we will still revert back to those traditional mass clinics if needed.”
Interior Health says the vaccine can take up to two weeks to work, but officials are hoping people won’t wait and are starting to plan ahead to get a flu shot with their pharmacist.
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