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Influenza season is nearly upon us, and Northern Health is urging those who are eligible for an influenza vaccine to ensure they attend a local clinic over the next few weeks.

Beginning the week of October 11 in many communities and throughout October in other communities, the seasonal influenza vaccine will be offered to those most at risk for complications from seasonal flu, including:

• People aged 65 years and older
• Residents of long-term care homes
• Adults and children with a chronic illness
• Healthy children aged 6 to 23 months
• People aged 6 months - 18 years who have a condition that is treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid
• Household and regular child care contacts of children aged 0 to 23 months
• Household contacts of someone who is at high risk, whether or not those people have been immunized
• Pregnant women who will be in their third trimester during influenza season (typically spanning November to April)
• Aboriginal peoples (on and off reserve) for the 2011-2012 influenza season
•      *for a full list of eligibility for free flu shots, visit the Northern Health website at www.northernhealth.ca.

A pneumococcal vaccine will also be available at the same time for seniors and those with chronic medical conditions; this vaccine helps to protect against pneumonia, which is the most common complication of influenza.

Influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, sore throat and a cough. Individuals with flu-like symptoms are urged to stay home until their symptoms go away.

“We recommend that people who are eligible for the vaccine make sure they visit a clinic,” says Dr. Ronald Chapman, Chief Medical Health Officer. “The eligibility list is quite extensive, so we encourage people to look carefully at the list as they might be surprised to find that they qualify.”

Between the start of clinics in October 2010, and the end of February 2011, nearly 27,000 Northern BC residents received a free flu shot at public health clinics across the region.

Clinic dates and times are being advertised in local communities and can be found, along with other influenza related information, by visiting www.northernhealth.ca.  Many pharmacies and physicians also provide the free vaccine to eligible people. People not eligible for the free vaccine should contact their physician or local pharmacy.

Careful hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of illness, including influenza. People should wash their hands well for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap – before and after using the washroom and before eating or preparing food.

For more information on influenza and other health issues, residents can also call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, where registered nurses can provide confidential health information and advice, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.