Prince George, B.C. – So far, so good, as  there have been no  lab confirmed cases of  flu in the Northern Interior.

Carolyn  Bouchard,  Northern Health’s Program Manager for Communicable Disease Team for Prince George    says  while official numbers are not yet available on how many  flu shots have been administered, she knows   a lot of  doses of the vaccine have been distributed  throughout the region.  “The first couple of days,  we kind of see a rush,   but it has slowed to a pretty steady  ebb and flow for  us at the health unit.”  The Health Unit offers a flu shot clinic each Friday,

Bouchard says the BC Centre for Disease Control has been looking at whether one of the strains of flu  which this years vaccine is meant to cover,  has mutated “There is some talk  that’s what’s possibly happened,  it still means that even if it mutates, it is still related to the previous  virus so  we would still get what we call cross protection, so it’s still better than not  having  any protection at all.”

As  250News reported  last week,  December 1st marked the day  that  you are expected to either have a flu vaccination or  wear a mask if you plan on visiting anyone in the hospital or  in a care home.  Bouchard says  visitors will be  on the honour system, “There probably will be signs  at facilities reminding people of that rule” says Bouchard “It’s all   about protecting people who are the most vulnerable, and the people most vulnerable are the  ones who are in facilities right now,  and so if you  don’t think its necessary for you to  protect them, that’s your choice, but we are advocating  that we do our level best by getting the vaccine and by  not attending  to a facility  if we’re ill   so not going in to visit  Grandma if you’ve a  cold or that kind of thing because it protects them from getting it.  the other way to do that is, if you choose not to get the vaccine or  can’t have the vaccine for  whatever reason, then a mask is the other way to protect them.”

Most people can get a  flu shot  without having to pay for it as the eligibility rules for a free shot  are so broad now. “Talk to a public health nurse to  see if you’re eligible” says Bouchard  who  says  only a handful of people would not qualify for a free flu shot ” You would have to be an adult between 19 and 64  who doesn’t have any chronic, or any illness whatsoever,  no kids at home, no parents, no grandparents,  no contact with children.”

Vaccination clinics continue at the  Northern Interior Health Unit on Edmonton Street every Friday.