Quebec urges people to get flu shots as annual vaccination campaign kicks off
Getting flu shot especially important for young children, pregnant women and anyone over 60, expert says
It's that time of year again.
Quebec's flu vaccine campaign kicked off Wednesday, and provincial health authorities are stressing just how important getting the flu shot is to prevent getting sick, especially for young children and seniors.
The campaign expects to see more than two million doses of the vaccine distributed this year.
Dr. Yves Jalbert of the Quebec public health agency said the flu shot is strongly recommended for children from six to 23 months old, anyone with a chronic disease, pregnant women, and people above age 60.
Anyone close to those vulnerable people, as well as health-care workers, are also particularly affected.
Vaccine free for vulnerable people
The flu is very contagious and can lead to serious complications, said Jalbert. Vulnerable people can end up in hospital.
Quebec Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois said the vaccine is free for individuals who are more at risk of developing complications from the flu.
The flu shot is either injected or given through the nose.
The vaccine's effectiveness depends on your age and the state of your immune system.
It prevents the flu in about 60 per cent of healthy people when the strains of viruses it contains correspond to the strains circulating.
Where to get the vaccine
Most clinics in Montreal will begin offering the vaccine starting in early November.
To see where you can get the flu shot in your area, consult the list below.
- Centre-Ouest (Côte-des-Neiges, NDG, Parc Extension, Westmount, Mount Royal, Concordia & Outremont)
- Montreal North (Ahuntsic, Bordeaux-Cartierville, Saint-Laurent & Villeray)
- Ville-Marie & Plateau-Mont-Royal, Sud-Ouest (Little Burgundy, Pointe–Saint-Charles and Saint-Henri)
- West Island (LaSalle, Dorval, Lachine, Baie-d'Urfé, Beaconsfield, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Senneville, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève, Pierrefonds, & Roxboro)
- Anjou, Mercier-Est, Montréal-Est, Pointe-aux-Trembles & Rivière-des-Prairies
- Saint-Léonard & Saint-Michel
- Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Mercier-Ouest & Rosemont
With files from the Canadian Press and CBC Montreal's Kamila Hinkson