Help protect yourself and your loved ones this flu season
There continue to be cases of influenza in the province, with almost all cases caused by influenza A. It is particularly important to help protect those who are at risk of more severe illness including seniors, young children, people with chronic conditions, and pregnant individuals.
Learn more about vaccination and other ways to help prevent the spread of flu as well as important reminders about masking and visitation guidelines at health-care facilities.
Itâs not too late to vaccinate!
- Anyone 6 months of age or older can get the flu vaccine as well as the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are safe and effective and continue to be the best way to protect yourself and others from severe illness.
- For more information and to book an appointment, please visit TimefortheShot.ca.
- Flu and COVID-19 vaccines are also available at no cost through participating local pharmacies, family physicians and nurse practitioners.
Other ways to help prevent the spread of flu and other respiratory viruses
- Stay home when feeling sick.
- Wear a mask in crowded or indoor spaces, particularly if you are at higher risk of complications.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue.
- Regularly clean and disinfect areas that are often touched by others (e.g. doorknobs).
Visiting loved ones in hospitals and long-term care homes
- Self-screening for COVID-19/respiratory illness is required for visitors/support persons. Learn more.
- Visitors/support persons who are feeling unwell or sick should not visit patients/long-term care residents or accompany others to appointments. Please wait until 24 hours after symptoms resolve before visiting hospitals and long-term care settings.
- For extenuating circumstances such as labour and delivery or end-of-life, visiting should be done in consultation with the clinical care team.
Masking guidelines at health-care facilities
- Masking is temporarily required in all clinical areas in hospitals and health-care facilities, including long-term care facilities. Masks are available at health-care facilities.
- Visitors/support persons, clients and patients (in outpatient clinics and emergency departments) are required to wear a well-fitted medical mask in waiting areas for health-care services/appointments, care/treatment areas and while visiting patients and long-term care residents. Learn more.
- These precautions are in place to help keep patients, clients, long-term care residents, visitors, staff and physicians safe and help in the prevention and spread of infection.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have flu/respiratory illness symptoms. What should I do and when should I seek medical help?
- We encourage everyone with respiratory symptoms to try limiting the spread to others by staying home while they are sick.
- Most people with milder symptoms will recover by resting at home, drinking lots of fluids and managing symptoms with over-the-counter medications.
- People with underlying chronic conditions or significant symptoms should seek assessment from a health-care provider.
- Individuals with symptoms of significant disease should seek medical attention as soon as possible. These include:
- Difficulty breathing.
- Chest pain.
- Decreased level of consciousness.
- Significant weakness or muscle pain.
- Contagious with influenza means that you can pass on the infection through respiratory droplets (such as through coughing, sneezing and talking) that other people may breathe in or be exposed to through touching contaminated surfaces.
- You are infectious from the day before you get your first symptom and for 5-7 days after you develop your first symptom.
How long should I stay home when sick to help limit the spread of infection to others?
- Because respiratory viruses can be spread from one person who is infected to others, we recommend that anyone who has flu symptoms stay home and try to minimize contact with others until their symptoms resolve.
- If you cannot stay at home, we recommend masking and practicing good hand hygiene when in public spaces.
If I get the flu shot, will I be protected from all influenza?
- The flu vaccine is designed to protect against the anticipated circulating strains of influenza. While people who get the flu vaccine can still get influenza, their risk of having severe illness is significantly decreased.
- It is also important to note that there are other respiratory viruses that may have similar symptoms to influenza that circulate around the same time of year. As these viruses are different from the influenza virus, the flu vaccine does not provide protection from them. This can lead people to assume that they had influenza despite receiving the vaccine, when in fact they may have had another viral infection.
Is it worth it to get the flu shot?
- Yes! The flu vaccine is a safe way to reduce your risk of getting influenza and can decrease the severity of your illness if you do get sick. Also, by reducing your risk of influenza, you can help protect those around you from getting sick.
- Getting the influenza vaccine is particularly important for those who are at risk of severe disease, such as:
- Infants and children less than 5 years of age.
- Individuals 65 years of age and older.
- Pregnant individuals.
- Individuals with chronic medical conditions.
- Individuals with weakened immune systems.
