While Shoppers Drug Mart on Fort Street had 300 people through its doors Tuesday for shots, it turns out that making an appointment is proving a little confusing for some. “It’s very confusing and it’s new to all of us, so it’s an online booking tool and it’s all done through the health authority,” said Kim Myers, Associate Pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart. Unlike last year when you booked directly through your local pharmacy, this year we encourage you to wait for an invitation to book through the Get Vaccinated system — the same system that alerts you to book your COVID-19 vaccinations. “It’s been absolutely crazy in terms of the phone calls we’ve been getting,” said Hans Bawa, owner of Fort Royal Pharmacies. “I think today is the first day and we’re all trying to learn how the system works.” Some pharmacies take shots, while others offer the flu shot to anyone already coming in for a COVID-19 booster shot. “If people have booked their COVID-19 reminder at our pharmacy and they come in and want a flu shot, we also get them the flu shot,” Bawa said. Pharmacists say while there’s plenty of stock to go around, they’re just urging people to be patient as invitations go out. “The weather is still good, the flu season lasts for a couple of months, so getting it up to mid-November is a good time to get it,” Myers said. Health officials are expecting an earlier and more severe flu season than has been experienced since the pandemic began. READ MORE: B.C. expects an increase in hospitalizations due to the increase in COVID-19, flu infections
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