Influenza

Influenza FI 1

Protect yourself against the flu

You can help protect yourself against the flu by getting your flu vaccine. The earlier you get the vaccine, the better your chances are to prevent getting the flu. The flu is a viral infection that can have severe complications. Anyone can get the flu virus. The flu is not just a cold. You could miss school, work, parties, holidays, or even end up in the hospital.

The flu vaccine helps your body help itself. The vaccine will trigger your body to fight off infection if you come into contact with the flu. This means you either will not get the flu, or the symptoms will be greatly reduced. Each year, different strains of the flu virus appear. Scientists predict which strains will be most likely to affect us for the coming year. These strains are used to make up the year’s flu vaccine. This is why it is important to be immunized each fall.

Getting your flu vaccine is good for everyone. When more people get their flu vaccine, the odds of the flu virus spreading goes down. This protects those who are most vulnerable such as children under 5 years of age, adults 65 years of age or older, pregnant women, as well as those living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, cancer, and HIV or AIDS.

In addition to getting your flu vaccine, you can help stop the spread of the flu, and protect yourself and your family by following a few easy steps:

  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
  • Cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm, not your hand.
  • If you are sick, stay at home.
  • Do not visit hospitalized patients or residents of retirement homes or long-term care homes if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or attends school in Ontario is eligible to receive the publicly funded flu vaccine.

You can get your flu shot from:

  • Your primary care provider or family doctor
  • Your local pharmacist
    • Pharmacies can give flu shots to those with or without an Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) card. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they will give you your flu vaccine.
  • At Southeast Public Health, we will be offering the influenza vaccine to children 6 months to under five years of age who do not have a primary care provider.

If you currently have a fever or any other symptoms of COVID-19, or have received instructions from public health to self-isolate because of COVID-19, you must delay getting your flu vaccine.

There is no reason why people who have recovered from COVID-19 should not be vaccinated against influenza (the flu). There is no evidence you can reactivate or relapse with COVID-19 in response to the flu shot.

Symptom differences between a cold and influenza.

Fever

  • Influenza: Usual, may be high sudden onset, may last three to four days
  • Cold: Rare

Headache

  • Influenza: Usual, can be severe
  • Cold: Rare

Chest discomfort, coughing

  • Influenza: Usual, can become severe
  • Cold: Sometimes mild to moderate

General aches and pains

  • Influenza: Usual, often severe
  • Cold: Sometimes, mild

Extreme fatigue

  • Influenza: Usual early onset, can be severe
  • Cold: Unusual

Weakness

  • Influenza: Usual, severe, may last two to three weeks or more
  • Cold: Sometimes, mild

Runny, stuffy nose

  • Influenza: Common
  • Cold: Common

Sneezing

  • Influenza: Sometimes
  • Cold: Common

Sore throat

  • Influenza: Common
  • Cold: Common

Complications

  • Influenza: Can lead to pneumonia, can worsen a current chronic condition, can be life-threatening
  • Cold: Can lead to sinus congestion or earache

If you have flu-like symptoms, including a fever, a cough, severe headache or chills, be sure to:

  • rest
  • drink lots of fluids
  • take basic pain or fever relievers if needed

Contact your doctor if symptoms are severe and do not improve after a few days.

There are many ways to get non-emergency medical care. Trained professionals from Health811 and Southeast Public Health can answer your questions by phone, and family doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers can provide care.

For the latest public health information, you can contact Southeast Public Health. To reach Health811, call 8-1-1.

Influenza can be particularly dangerous and can cause complications for some groups of people, including:

  • older adults 65 years of age and older
  • pregnant women
  • infants and children younger than 5 years of age
  • people with weakened immune systems
  • residents of nursing homes or long-term care facilities

Certain health conditions can place you at increased risk of influenza-related problems including:

  • asthma
  • neurological conditions
  • chronic lung disease
  • endocrine disorders
  • kidney disorders
  • liver disorders
  • metabolic disorders
  • blood disorders
  • obesity
  • heart disease

The flu vaccine is safe for anyone six months of age or older who does not have a contraindication to the flu vaccine.

Flu vaccine is contraindicated in persons who had an anaphylactic reaction to the flu vaccine or to a component of the flu vaccine before. If you had an anaphylactic reaction to a flu vaccine before, a consultation with an allergist is recommended prior to flu vaccination. Persons with an egg or dog allergy can safely receive any influenza vaccine and do not need any special precautions or testing.

Workplaces that have an occupational health department can organize a clinic themselves with their own equipment. For more information about registering for the Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIPP), please visit the Ministry of Health’s Universal Influenza Immunization Program information page. If you have missed the application period you can call a local nursing agency to get more information on providing a clinic for your workplace. Southeast Public Health cannot provide workplace clinics.