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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the role of Public Health?
What is the flu?
What is the difference between a cold and the flu?
How does the flu vaccine work?
Why is a flu shot needed each year?
What are the components of the flu vaccine in Canada for the 2006/2007 flu season?
Who should receive the flu vaccine?
Why should healthy adults and children get the vaccine?
Who should not receive the flu vaccine?
Is the flu vaccine recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women?
Does the flu vaccine have side effects?
Can the flu vaccine give me the flu?
If I get the flu shot every year will my immune system become weaker, and will I get sick?
I don't get the flu, so do I really need a flu shot?
Where can I get my flu shot?
Where can I get more information?
What are antivirals (such as Amantadine, Relenza®, Tamiflu®)?
What is the role of Public Health?
Ottawa Public Health promotes the benefits of influenza immunization through:
1. Information:
- resources and reference information for health care providers and health care facilities
- health promotion information for the community in English, French and 12 languages
- community presentations and displays.
2. Distribution of vaccine:
- to area physicians, acute and chronic care hospitals, long term care facilities, retirement homes, nursing service providers, emergency service workers and workplaces
3. Support for vaccination in health and community care settings and workplaces
4. Offering immunization:
Ottawa Public Health holds free flu shot clinics around the city.
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What is the flu?
Influenza or the flu is a serious, infectious respiratory disease. It is caused by the highly contagious influenza virus and spreads rapidly from person to person, usually by a simple cough or sneeze. It is not a cold and it has nothing to do with what some people call stomach flu, which causes abdominal upset and diarrhea. Flu symptoms are like the common cold, but much more severe. Symptoms include fever, headaches, muscle aches and pains, extreme fatigue, stuffy nose, dry hacking cough and sore throat. On average, people who become sick from the flu are bed-ridden for up to five days.
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What is the difference between a cold and a flu?
Symptom
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Cold
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Flu (influenza)
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Fever
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rare
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usually high
sudden onset
lasts three to four days
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Headache
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rare
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frequent
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Aches & pains
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slight
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usual
often quite severe
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Weakness
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rare / mild
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moderate to extreme
can last up to one month
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Bed-ridden
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never
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frequently
lasts up to five or ten days
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Sniffles
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common
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sometimes
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Sneezing
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usual
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sometimes
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Sore throat
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common
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sometimes
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Cough
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sometimes
mild to moderate
|
usual
can become severe
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Complications
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sinus or ear infection
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pneumonia, kidney failure, heart failure (can be life-threatening)
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Prevention
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Frequent handwashing
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Annual vaccination
Frequent handwashing
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How does the flu vaccine work?
The flu vaccine contains a killed form of the viruses, and it stimulates your body's natural resistance to the flu without causing the disease. Later, when you are exposed to the flu, your body's immune system can quickly produce specific antibodies to these germs, fighting an infection. This way, immunity is acquired as if you've had the disease, but without the risk of serious complications, such as pneumonia and death. Also important is the prevention of the transmission of flu germs from asymptomatic healthy people to vulnerable groups. Protection from flu viruses usually starts about two weeks after the injection and may last six months or longer.
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Why is a flu shot needed every year?
A flu shot is needed every year to protect you from getting the flu because the flu virus strains change each year. At the beginning of each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the three particular strains to be included in the vaccine for the upcoming flu season. With a good match between the flu vaccine and the circulating virus, the vaccine is 70 to 90 per cent effective in preventing influenza infection in healthy adults. The protection rate for seniors in poor health is 30 to 40 per cent because their immune system is weaker. However, in seniors, the vaccine can prevent pneumonia, and hospitalization in about six out of ten people, and can prevent death in about eight out of ten people. For children, the vaccine is about 80 to 90 per cent effective in preventing the flu, and about 60 to 70 per cent effective in preventing illness with fever. People who receive the vaccine can still get influenza, but if they do, it is usually a milder case.
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What are the components of the flu vaccine in Canada for the 2006/2007 flu season?
The virus strains that this year's vaccine protects against are:
- A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1)
- A/Wisconsin/67/2005 (H3N2)
- B/Malaysia/2506/2004
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Who should receive the flu vaccine?
Healthy people 6 months of age and older can benefit from a flu shot if no contraindications are present. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI, Health Canada) and the Ontario Ministry of Health advise that it is especially important for some people to get a flu shot. Recommended recipients for influenza vaccine include:
- those at high risk of influenza-related complications
- those capable of transmitting influenza to people in the high risk groups
- anyone allergic to formaldehyde
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Why should healthy adults and children get the flu vaccine?
Healthy adults should get vaccinated to protect themselves and their families from influenza, to avoid missing quality time with their families, to avoid losing time from work, and to avoid spreading the virus to others.
Children can also benefit from the flu shot. Infection rates in children are much higher than in adults, and may lead to hospitalization in healthy children, particularly in those under two years of age, as well as in children with underlying medical conditions. Influenza in pre-schoolers is also associated with middle ear infections; there is evidence that influenza immunization can decrease the incidence of middle ear infections associated with influenza. Children are also the main spreaders of the virus, in both the school and household settings; the vaccination of school-aged children has been shown to prevent community transmission of influenza and reduce school absenteeism.
NOTE: Children under nine years of age who are getting vaccinated for the first time need two shots - the second shot at least one month after the first.
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Who should not receive the flu vaccine?
- infants under 6 months of age
- anyone with a serious allergy to eggs or egg products
- anyone allergic to thimerosal
- anyone who has had a serious allergic reaction to a dose of influenza vaccine
- anyone who is ill and has a fever should not receive the vaccine until they are feeling better
The following individuals should speak with their doctor about receiving the flu vaccine:
- anyone with a changing neurological condition
- anyone with a history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- anyone with a history of Oculo-Respiratory Syndrome
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Is the flu vaccine recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women?
Flu vaccine is considered safe for pregnant women at all stages of pregnancy and for breastfeeding women. Vaccination is recommended for:
- all breastfeeding women
- pregnant women who belong to any of the high risk groups
- pregnant women in their third trimester if they are expected to deliver during influenza season, as they will become household contacts of their newborn.
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Does the flu vaccine have side effects?
Side effects from the vaccine are not very common and you cannot get the flu from the vaccine. Some people have a sore arm for a day or two after getting the injection. A few people will experience symptoms such as low fever, headache, and muscle aches. These symptoms are generally mild and end within one to two days.
Extra rest, plenty of fluids, and acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) will help ease these symptoms. It is important to speak to your family doctor if you experience other symptoms or have any questions.
During the 2001/2002 season a small number of people who received the vaccine developed a generally mild side effect called Oculo-Respiratory Syndrome or ORS.
In 1976 the swine flu vaccine was associated with a very rare disease, Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), however, since then influenza vaccines have not been clearly linked to GBS.
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Can the flu vaccine give me the flu?
The vaccine cannot give you the flu because it does not contain live virus.
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If I get the flu shot every year will my immune system become weaker, and will I get sick?
The flu vaccine protects you for the coming season. It does not weaken your ability to fight the flu or other infections, in fact the flu vaccine boosts your immune system. Getting a flu shot every year is your best protection against the flu and its complications.
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I don't get the flu, so do I really need a flu shot?
The flu spreads very easily from infected people through coughing and sneezing. Every year between 500 and 1,500 Canadians, mostly seniors, die from flu-related complications.
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Where can I get my free flu shot?
It is easy to get your flu shot.
- Contact your family doctor,
- Contact your community health care centre,
- Contact your local pharmacy - some pharmacies are holding flu shot clinics
- Ask your employer - some workplaces provide flu shot clinics for their employees, or
- Visit an Ottawa Public Health flu shot clinic.
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Where can I get more information?
Call the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Public Health Information at 613-580-6744, ext. 24179 (TTY:613 580- 9656) , toll free number 1-866-426-8885 , or visit one of the flu resources related Web sites.
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