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More Okanagan residents get flu shot, pharmacists say

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Okanagan pharmacists are reporting that more people are getting their flu shots this year.

“A lot of people who don’t normally get the flu shot are getting the flu shot, or people who occasionally get the flu shot are (coming in more as well,)” said Curtis Omelchuk, pharmacist and owner of Remedy's RX Sterling Centre in Vernon.

“It’s probably a 25 to 30 per cent increase,” he said.

Craig Tostenson, owner of the Pharmasave in Kelowna’s Glenmore neighbourhood, said the pharmacy has given out twice as many flu shots and more pneumonia vaccinations this year compared to last year, but he believes that’s also because the pharmacy has been advertising more and have been making the shots more accessible to clients by adjusting hours of operation.

Last month, an uptick in demand for flu shots was reported across the country. In September in preparation for flu season, and to bolster public health protection measures from COVID-19, the province decided to build out its fall flu immunization campaign.

As part of this, 45,000 Fluzone-High Dose immunizations were made available to all long-term care and assisted living residents. Fluzone-High Dose is a higher dose vaccine designed specifically to protect people who are older than 65 from influenza. An additional 450,000 influenza vaccine doses were also made available in the 2020-21 influenza season, for a total of approximately two million doses, according to a provincial news release.

"The COVID-19 pandemic makes it more important than ever to protect yourself and your family from influenza," said Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C. provincial health officer, in the press release issued back in September. "By getting immunized against influenza, you're protecting yourself and those who are vulnerable to complications from the flu. Staying healthy also helps to reduce strain on our health-care system as we deal with COVID-19. Getting the flu shot  Getting the flu shot is safe and effective, and this year more than ever, I ask everyone who can to get a flu shot."

Dr. Henry said during a press conference in November that while there is a higher demand for shots, there have been no shortages reported in the health authorities. She noted that some pharmacies were running though their allocated supply faster because of the increased demand.

READ MORE: Flu shot demand up and getting more supply won't be easy

A UBC study published back in August suggested the pandemic may be motivating more parents to get their children a seasonal flu vaccine.

The study surveyed 3,000 families from Canada, the United States, Japan, Israel, Spain and Switzerland and found 54 per cent of parents planned to vaccinate their children — up 16 percentage points from the previous year.

The study determined parents were more likely to get their child the flu shot if they thought there was potential for the child to catch COVID-19, and if their child was already up-to-date on other vaccinations.

READ MORE: Pandemic motivating more parents to get their kids the flu shot, UBC study finds

The B.C. Pharmacy Association could not be reached for comment.

- With files from The Canadian Press

 


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