Flu Season Still ‘Normal’ in P.G. Region
Prince George, B.C.- There have been many reports of higher than normal cases of influenza in the lower mainland, but so far so good in Northern Health’s Prince George Region.
Carolyn Bouchard, the Program Manager for the Communicable Disease Team in Prince George says the number of cases in the region so far is about the norm “We are about on par with where we have been in previous years. We have seen a couple of lab confirmed cases.”
But all that could change now that the holidays are over, people have returned from visiting family or friends in other parts of the country and the kids are back in school. “We will see what happens this week, it’s something that we monitor all the time” says Bouchard “the schools let us know when they have a certain percentage of people off sick, the long term care facilities notify us when they have people ill with the same type of symptoms, so we do monitor that and keep an eye on it, but so far, things seem normal.”
She says the area is prepared to deal with an increase in cases, but so far, they haven’t seen an increase. “I know there are people out there suffering from what sounds like influenza like illness, there’s always more out there than what we get confirmed, but it is flu season.”
You can still get a flu shot on Friday afternoons at the Public Health Unit on Edmonton Street from 1:00 to 3:30, there are still some pharmacies and physicians who have flu vaccine available.
Bouchard says folks shouldn’t avoid getting the vaccine just because they have heard it is not as effective on the popular strain of flu that is making the rounds. The flu people are contracting is a mutated version of the strain the vaccine is designed to battle “The vaccine is not as effective as we would hope it would be, it still is effective to a point, but it still does work and it still does prevent some people from getting really nasty complications.”
Comments
Meh no flu shot for me. That crap is pointless and makes me get the flu anyway opposed to not getting it and not getting sick. Hand washing and hand sanitizer is a person’s best friend during flu season, sadly many don’t use sanitizer and touch their face, eyes, and nose with dirty hands. Retail would be the absolute worst for this. Now if you don’t wash your hands before eating food, well you’re just asking for it.
What a load of rubbish. The quick mutations of the influenza virus is the very reason why we cannot buy into this flu vaccine nonsense. This is about money, not public health. These vaccinations can be a precursor to the very pandemics we want to avoid. These vaccinations aid in mutations, making it a never ending source of income for big pharma but may end up cause mass deaths. Don’t be a fool. Educate yourself.
the flu shot this year doesn’t work
why would I want o get one if it is ineffective?
http://www.naturalnews.com/047955_flu_shot_CDC_vaccine_industry.html
Just another public health initiative the conspiracy theorists and fear mongers like to target. Nothing to see here.
So you folks don’t get vaccinations of any kind? Back to dark ages medicine.
Meh just the flu shot for me. If there is a scare for a potential outbreak of something more serious than the seasonal flu I’ll get a needle. But then again I never stood in any line to get an H1N1 shot either and that was major. Ebola I would for sure. Maybe when I’m older I’ll get the Shingles vaccine too, I don’t want to deal with that ever!
“Maybe when I’m older I’ll get the Shingles vaccine too, I don’t want to deal with that ever!”
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I had shingles when I was 50; had I known how painful that was going to be I would have hounded my doctor for the vaccine as soon as it was available. They’re not something I would wish on anybody.
So they guessed wrong this year! What is scary is the folks wandering around the hospital without a mask BECAUSE they had a flu shot and they think they are safe. No fear mongering in that JB just the facts.
I like the argument “oh you don’t get the flu shot so you must be anti vaccine”. I not against vaccines the actually work. The flu shot might work, maybe, sometimes. Not good enough for me.
There’s no guarantees in life, NoWay. If I get the flu vaccine and it doesn’t work, no big deal. If I get it and I don’t get the flu because of it, or not inadvertently pass it on to someone else (a senior or a child), that’s good too.
And don’t worry NoWay, you’re not the only one with a selfish attitude. Much of society seems to be doing the same.
Kudos to those who get it.
I don’t want it. A vaccine within a chicken embryo that will only work on what, 3 strains?
Haven’t had the flu in 40 years, good without it.
Just don’t think it works IMHO
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