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Flu Information	Flu Brochure | Flu Poster

Most people think of the flu as a mild illness and an inconvenience of winter. They don’t realize that every year between 500 and 1500 Canadians, mostly seniors, will die from pneumonia and other complications of the flu.

Because you can be infected with the flu virus and not have symptoms, you are also at greater risk of passing the illness on to others. When you get a flu shot, you protect not only your own health, but the health of the people around you.

Who is eligible for the free vaccine?

Once again, the Department of Health is providing free vaccine at doctors' offices and community clinics for people who have a higher risk of getting severely ill, or even dying, from influenza. These high-risk groups include:

• people over age 65;
• babies age 6 to 23 months
• adults and children with chronic heart and lung problems, and other chronic diseases;
• anyone living in the same household as people over 65 or people with chronic illnesses;
• all health-care workers and students in health-care educational programs;
• police officers and firefighters.

The flu is caused by influenza A and B viruses and occurs in Canada every year, usually during the late fall and winter months. The usual symptoms of the flu are sudden onset of fever, chills, cough, sore throat, sore muscles and joints, headache and tiredness. It is often confused with the "stomach flu", a stomach virus that usually causes vomiting and diarrhea, but that can't be prevented through immunization.

How serious is the flu?

Influenza can cause severe illness and even death, especially in people over age 65 and those with chronic illness. The best way to prevent the flu and its complications is the flu vaccine. 

If you live with or care for someone over 65 years or with a chronic illness, it is important for you to be vaccinated to protect their health. 

Since flu viruses change themselves from year to year, vaccination needs to be repeated every fall for both high-risk groups and contacts. 

Is there anyone who should not receive the vaccine?

The only people who should not receive a flu vaccine are people who have severe or anaphylactic allergies to eggs or who have had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of influenza vaccine.

Where can I get my flu shot? 

Ask your doctor about the flu vaccine or contact your local public health office for clinic times and locations, Or check 2006 Provincial Flu Clinics schedule for clinics time and locations.

Can flu vaccine cause Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)?

Some studies have shown a link between GBS and flu immunization. However, it is not known for certain if flu vaccine causes GBS. If there is a risk fo GBS from flu vaccine, that risk is very small (1 or 2 cases per million people vaccinated) and is much less than the risk of serious illness or death from influenza.

  

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Comments to: healthpromotion@gov.ns.ca. Last Modified on: 11/17/06

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