Protect yourself, get a flu shot

Getting a flu shot is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from getting the flu. The symptoms you can get from the flu tend to be worse than the ones you get from other cold viruses.

Symptoms include:

• fever,
• headache,
• muscle pain,
• runny nose,
• sore throat,
• extreme tiredness
• and cough.

Getting sick with flu also puts you at risk of other infections including viral or bacterial pneumonia which affect the lungs.

Other ways to protect yourself and loved ones from the flu:

• wash your hands regularly,
• quickly dispose of used tissues in the garbage,
• cough and sneeze into your shirt sleeve rather than your hands,
• stay home when you are ill.

Who gets the shot for free?

You can get a free influenza shot if you

• have a chronic health condition,
• are a senior,
• are a health care worker,
• are an emergency responder,
• have a healthy child ages 6-23 months or have contact with a child from birth to 23 months of age,
• are morbidly obese,
• are Aboriginal,
• own and operate a poultry farm,
• are in your 3rd trimester of pregnancy, or
• are a household contact of people at high risk.

Vaccine and clinic details

The best way to protect against influenza is to get immunized every year.

Find local information about where and when to get a vaccine or call your public health unit.

The 2010-2011 vaccine provides protection against A/H1N1 (pandemic) influenza and two other influenza viruses – influenza A/H3N2 and influenza B. Public health officials in B.C. expect that we'll still see sporadic cases of H1N1 but not the type of epidemic wave we saw last year. The vaccine doesn't protect against other viruses or bacteria that may cause colds or stomach illnesses (the stomach 'flu').

To learn about how the flu vaccine is created and how it helps you and your family stay flu free, watch the new video developed by Ontario’s health ministry.”