': Oshawa, Ont. Experts say the flu shot should be available in the next few weeks, but the Ontario Ministry of Health was unable to confirm that information. The flu season typically runs from late fall to early spring. Instead of going into a doctor’s office, the OMA is urging anyone who experiences these symptoms to stay home, call their physician or Telehealth Ontario, and get a COVID-19 test if necessary. “I think we will be able to (distribute the flu shot) in a safe and responsible manner.”. It was an opportunity for Dr. Redfield to repeat arguably one of his most controversial suggestions during the COVID-19 pandemic. New Flu Shots for the 2020-2021 Season. Though the flu vaccination is recommended for all people six months or older in the US, less than 46-percent of adults got the shot in the 2018-19 flu season. That’s a big deal, because the CDC says that there’s a direct correlation between vaccination levels and hospitalization load. (poster 1 – 65 and older, or essential care – PDF: 723 KB), (poster 4 – chronic lung disease – PDF: 706 KB), (poster 5 – children and teens – PDF: 708 KB), (poster 6 – Indigenous communities – PDF: 1.1 MB), (poster 7 – young children – PDF: 710 KB), (poster 8 – health professionals – PDF: 705 KB), © Copyright Immunize Canada All rights reserved, Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunization Awareness Campaign, Tips for Locating Old Immunization Records, Ethical Guidelines for Sponsoring Immunize Canada, Influenza immunization locator and booking, Canadian Immunization Guide Chapter on Influenza and Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2020-2021, Summary of the NACI Seasonal Influenza Statement for 2020-2021. woman 'deeply regrets' taking payday loan with interest rate of 47 per cent, Ontario woman caught up in romance scam puts life savings into Bitcoin machine, Iconic Canadian train ride refusing refunds for passengers, Experts say kitchen fires in Canada increased during COVID-19 pandemic, How to stay comfortable while working, learning from home amid pandemic, Ontario drivers saved $1 billion in insurance premiums amid COVID-19 pandemic, report finds, TDSB delays deadline to switch between in-person and virtual learning at last minute, Ontario premier urges food delivery companies to slash commission to help restaurants survive, At least 47 COVID-19 cases linked to outbreak at Hamilton spin studio, Toronto suspends indoor recreational programs as COVID-19 cases surge, Trudeau says Toronto-area byelections will go ahead despite COVID-19 case surge, WestJet cutting flights to Atlantic Canada, laying off staff, 'Extinct' tribe optimistic that Supreme Court will reverse hurtful declaration, COVID-19 eroding global internet freedom, Canada among the most free, report says, Canadian sentenced to die in China granted first consular access since January. “One of the reasons it doesn't get rolled out in like, August, is because by the time the main flu season came around, you would have essentially selected out for a virus that isn't part of that stream.”, “In some ways the more effective, the vaccine is, the more other streams will try and populate.”. If you think you have the flu, what should you do? High-dose shots for people 65 years and older. Speaking with CTV News Toronto, infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch said while it’s important to get the vaccine every year, it’s even more important during a global pandemic. Canadian Immunization Guide Chapter on Influenza and Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2020-2021 (National Advisory Committee on Immunization, Public Health Agency of Canada) Summary of the NACI Seasonal Influenza Statement for 2020-2021 (Canada Communicable Disease Report, Volume 46-5, 07 May 2020) Resources. It’s not even going to require 75% of us to get this right. The symptoms of COVID-19 and influenza are incredibly similar—so much so that doctors say there is pretty much no clinical way to distinguish the two. As soon as you start to have any of the COVID symptoms you should basically be self-isolating.”. 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Canadian Immunization Guide Chapter on Influenza and National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) Statement on Seasonal Influenza Vaccine for 2020–2021, recommend the use of seasonal influenza vaccines. “Especially as everyone's going back to school and things are getting hairier and the numbers are climbing up a little bit. “A lot of physician’s offices aren't modifiable,” Hill added. Both Hill and Bogoch have said that while many physicians have moved some of their services online, they are prepared to provide the flu shot in-person. There are two new flu shots available this year, and they are both designed for adults aged 65 and above. If you have questions, or if you wish to obtain high-resolution files for printing, or if you require adaptation of any Immunize Canada resource, or insertion of your organization’s logo, please contact the Immunize Canada Secretariat. But with the flu, we do have the option of getting the flu vaccine that, you know, depending on the year is variably effective but it is our best defense.”, Speaking on the potential strain on the health-care system, Bogoch added “we know it’s already going to be busy with COVID-19 cases, especially in the fall, in the winter.”, “If we can reduce the burden on the health-care system through high uptake of influenza vaccine, we’ll be doing something right. 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It’s in our hands. “They lack the kind of infrastructure that you need to safely see the volume of the patients, which is why they have been seeing them by virtual care when possible.”, “It's challenging to visualize being able to see the 340,000 patients a day that Ontario doctors were seeing without other systemic changes and that's been part of an ongoing discussion that we've been having with government and we are committed to working collaboratively.”. Avoid a bad flu season during the coronavirus pandemic by getting your flu shot early. Below you will find a number of resources available to you to support your local Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunization Awareness Campaign. Quite whether sufficient numbers of the American public – and indeed the politicians they elected to govern them – have the commitment and focus for that remains to be seen. Lobster catch destroyed, vehicle burned as tension rises over Indigenous fishery in N.S. The OMA agreed, but also said they are working with the government to help create more physically distanced spaces for people to get their flu shot and to ensure that health-care workers have enough personal protective equipment. One possibility, indeed, is that a positive response to COVID-19 among the general population could have a knock-on effect in reducing flu cases. Are doctors prepared for the flu season this year? As of August 24, 2020, there were over 5,682,000 cases of COVID-19 in the US, with the disease blamed for more than 176,000 deaths so far. In Canada, thousands of people are hospitalized and may die from influenza and its complications during years with widespread or epidemic influenza activity.