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The Department of Health and Community Services
is pleased to provide you with information and
status reports on our health system through this
column.
Please send any comments to the: |
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Communications
Division
Department of
Health and Community Services
P.O. Box 8700
St. John¹s, NF
A1B 4J6
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Government
of Newfoundland
and Labrador
Department of
Health and Community Services
Honourable Julie Bettney, Minister http://www.gov.nf.ca/health
Email:
healthinfo@gov.nl.ca
Table
of Contents
Related
Links
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| You
do! Influenza, known as the "flu",
is an infection caused by an influenza
virus. It is easily caught and easily
spread. And, although some symptoms may
be cold-like, they are afr more serious:
headache, chills and a dry cough followed
by body aches and fever. While the fever
declines on the second or third day of
the illness, full recovery may take several
weeks. Although most people do fully recover,
others may experience more severe and
life-threatening illnesses like pneumonia. |
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What
do I do?
Getting a flu vaccine every fall
is the only proven way to prevent you
from getting the flu, or reducing complications
should you get it. October to April
is the flu season, so it's important
to get your flu vaccine now. And, it's
even more important if you are a senior
citizen or are at risk of complications
from influenza at any age. Talk to your
family doctor or community health office
about whether a flu vaccine is right
for you. Vaccines are free of charge
to people 65 and over, residents of
any age at nursing homes or other chronic
care facilities, children and adults
with various chronic conditions and
health care workers. The cost for other
individuals is minimal.
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Approximately
70,000 doses
of flu vaccine were given in this
province
last year at a
cost of about $130,000
The cost of administering the
vaccine by physicians and community
health professionals amounted
to approximately half a million
dollars.
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