The Flu Shot Is Now Available To All Peterborough Residents

The free vaccine became available across the province on Tuesday, with Ontario’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, to urge everyone to do so as soon as possible because they do not take effect until 10 to 14 days after vaccination. Flu activity will really start to pick up. “Flu activity has started in the Peterborough area. Two facility cases of the season have already been reported, and community cases are expected to increase as the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors,” Peterborough medical examiner Dr. Thomas Piggott said in a news release. The health facility plans to hold flu shot clinics by appointment for children aged six months to two years and their household members starting Tuesday. Additional clinics will be held on December 13th and January 10th. The clinics will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. at the health facility offices at 185 King St. A community flu vaccine clinic for those over six months of age will also be held at Cavan Monaghan Community Center near Millbrook on November 17 from 3.30pm to 7pm. Dawn Hanes, a public health nurse in the health unit’s immunization team, explained that the flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious flu-related illnesses. “If you get sick with the flu or other respiratory illness, stay home until your symptoms improve for at least 24 hours,” he said via email. “Drink plenty of fluids and rest.” Additional ways to stop the spread of the flu, he said, include frequent hand washing, socializing outdoors when possible, proper ventilation with an HVAC system or room HEPA filtration system for indoor gatherings, and wearing an appropriate mask. “Laying on the same protective measures that worked against COVID-19, such as wearing an N95/KN95 mask, staying home when sick, and getting a flu shot now are the best ways to protect yourself and your family,” Piggott said. Children aged six months to under five should not receive any other vaccine, including the flu shot, 14 days before or after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the health unit advises, but anyone aged five and above can cause COVID-19 and the flu. vaccine on the same day. “There are more flu cases because people are congregating more and public health restrictions have been lifted,” said Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. “So we expect to see a more severe flu season than maybe we’ve had in the last couple of years.” The flu shot will not be offered at the health facility’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic, currently located on the lower level of Peterborough Square. There are 40 pharmacies in the city and county that offer flu shots. A list of pharmacies is posted at bit.ly/3Dq1mg4. There are already 18 Ontarians in ICU with the flu, with eight on ventilators, Moore said Wednesday. There are 1,796 people in the hospital with COVID-19, with 138 in the ICU and 52 on ventilators, he said. Also, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is returning to pre-pandemic levels, with the season even starting a little early, Moore said. People who are especially vulnerable to respiratory viruses should definitely be covered now, Moore said. “We strongly recommend as we move through this triple threat, anyone who is vulnerable to this virus with underlying illness or older members of our community, as you go indoors, please, we ask that you cover up,” he said. Immunization is also key, Moore said, and he urged all Ontarians to get their COVID-19 booster shots as well as flu shots. It’s safe and effective to take both at the same time, he said. Immunity from the COVID-19 vaccines wanes after about six months, he said. Both Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 “become a dominant strain” in Ontario. Public Health Ontario said the BQ subvariants grow twice as fast as the BA.5 strain and have a high risk potential for transmissibility, reinfection and reduced vaccine effectiveness. — with files from The Canadian Press [email protected] SHARE:

title: “The Flu Shot Is Now Available To All Peterborough Residents " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Clifford Luna”

The free vaccine became available across the province on Tuesday, with Ontario’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, to urge everyone to do so as soon as possible because they do not take effect until 10 to 14 days after vaccination. Flu activity will really start to pick up. “Flu activity has started in the Peterborough area. Two facility cases of the season have already been reported, and community cases are expected to increase as the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors,” Peterborough medical examiner Dr. Thomas Piggott said in a news release. The health facility plans to hold flu shot clinics by appointment for children aged six months to two years and their household members starting Tuesday. Additional clinics will be held on December 13th and January 10th. The clinics will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. at the health facility offices at 185 King St. A community flu vaccine clinic for those over six months of age will also be held at Cavan Monaghan Community Center near Millbrook on November 17 from 3.30pm to 7pm. Dawn Hanes, a public health nurse in the health unit’s immunization team, explained that the flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious flu-related illnesses. “If you get sick with the flu or other respiratory illness, stay home until your symptoms improve for at least 24 hours,” he said via email. “Drink plenty of fluids and rest.” Additional ways to stop the spread of the flu, he said, include frequent hand washing, socializing outdoors when possible, proper ventilation with an HVAC system or room HEPA filtration system for indoor gatherings, and wearing an appropriate mask. “Laying on the same protective measures that worked against COVID-19, such as wearing an N95/KN95 mask, staying home when sick, and getting a flu shot now are the best ways to protect yourself and your family,” Piggott said. Children aged six months to under five should not receive any other vaccine, including the flu shot, 14 days before or after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the health unit advises, but anyone aged five and above can cause COVID-19 and the flu. vaccine on the same day. “There are more flu cases because people are congregating more and public health restrictions have been lifted,” said Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. “So we expect to see a more severe flu season than maybe we’ve had in the last couple of years.” The flu shot will not be offered at the health facility’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic, currently located on the lower level of Peterborough Square. There are 40 pharmacies in the city and county that offer flu shots. A list of pharmacies is posted at bit.ly/3Dq1mg4. There are already 18 Ontarians in ICU with the flu, with eight on ventilators, Moore said Wednesday. There are 1,796 people in the hospital with COVID-19, with 138 in the ICU and 52 on ventilators, he said. Also, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is returning to pre-pandemic levels, with the season even starting a little early, Moore said. People who are especially vulnerable to respiratory viruses should definitely be covered now, Moore said. “We strongly recommend as we move through this triple threat, anyone who is vulnerable to this virus with underlying illness or older members of our community, as you go indoors, please, we ask that you cover up,” he said. Immunization is also key, Moore said, and he urged all Ontarians to get their COVID-19 booster shots as well as flu shots. It’s safe and effective to take both at the same time, he said. Immunity from the COVID-19 vaccines wanes after about six months, he said. Both Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 “become a dominant strain” in Ontario. Public Health Ontario said the BQ subvariants grow twice as fast as the BA.5 strain and have a high risk potential for transmissibility, reinfection and reduced vaccine effectiveness. — with files from The Canadian Press [email protected] SHARE:

title: “The Flu Shot Is Now Available To All Peterborough Residents " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-04” author: “Angeline Ramirez”

The free vaccine became available across the province on Tuesday, with Ontario’s chief medical officer, Dr. Kieran Moore, to urge everyone to do so as soon as possible because they do not take effect until 10 to 14 days after vaccination. Flu activity will really start to pick up. “Flu activity has started in the Peterborough area. Two facility cases of the season have already been reported, and community cases are expected to increase as the weather gets colder and people spend more time indoors,” Peterborough medical examiner Dr. Thomas Piggott said in a news release. The health facility plans to hold flu shot clinics by appointment for children aged six months to two years and their household members starting Tuesday. Additional clinics will be held on December 13th and January 10th. The clinics will be open from 3 to 6 p.m. at the health facility offices at 185 King St. A community flu vaccine clinic for those over six months of age will also be held at Cavan Monaghan Community Center near Millbrook on November 17 from 3.30pm to 7pm. Dawn Hanes, a public health nurse in the health unit’s immunization team, explained that the flu shot is the best way to protect yourself and your loved ones from serious flu-related illnesses. “If you get sick with the flu or other respiratory illness, stay home until your symptoms improve for at least 24 hours,” he said via email. “Drink plenty of fluids and rest.” Additional ways to stop the spread of the flu, he said, include frequent hand washing, socializing outdoors when possible, proper ventilation with an HVAC system or room HEPA filtration system for indoor gatherings, and wearing an appropriate mask. “Laying on the same protective measures that worked against COVID-19, such as wearing an N95/KN95 mask, staying home when sick, and getting a flu shot now are the best ways to protect yourself and your family,” Piggott said. Children aged six months to under five should not receive any other vaccine, including the flu shot, 14 days before or after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, the health unit advises, but anyone aged five and above can cause COVID-19 and the flu. vaccine on the same day. “There are more flu cases because people are congregating more and public health restrictions have been lifted,” said Justin Bates, CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association. “So we expect to see a more severe flu season than maybe we’ve had in the last couple of years.” The flu shot will not be offered at the health facility’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic, currently located on the lower level of Peterborough Square. There are 40 pharmacies in the city and county that offer flu shots. A list of pharmacies is posted at bit.ly/3Dq1mg4. There are already 18 Ontarians in ICU with the flu, with eight on ventilators, Moore said Wednesday. There are 1,796 people in the hospital with COVID-19, with 138 in the ICU and 52 on ventilators, he said. Also, respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, is returning to pre-pandemic levels, with the season even starting a little early, Moore said. People who are especially vulnerable to respiratory viruses should definitely be covered now, Moore said. “We strongly recommend as we move through this triple threat, anyone who is vulnerable to this virus with underlying illness or older members of our community, as you go indoors, please, we ask that you cover up,” he said. Immunization is also key, Moore said, and he urged all Ontarians to get their COVID-19 booster shots as well as flu shots. It’s safe and effective to take both at the same time, he said. Immunity from the COVID-19 vaccines wanes after about six months, he said. Both Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 “become a dominant strain” in Ontario. Public Health Ontario said the BQ subvariants grow twice as fast as the BA.5 strain and have a high risk potential for transmissibility, reinfection and reduced vaccine effectiveness. — with files from The Canadian Press [email protected] SHARE: