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Questions & Answers about Manitoba'southward Seasonal Influenza Immunization Plan

Immunization is i of the nearly important accomplishments in public health. Over the by 50 years, immunization has led to the elimination, containment and control of diseases that were in one case very common in Canada. Vaccines aid your immune organisation recognize and fight bacteria and viruses that cause diseases.

What is seasonal influenza?

Seasonal influenza (the flu) is a respiratory infection caused past a virus that can seem similar to the common cold or other viruses. However, the signs and symptoms of the flu are usually more severe than the common cold. A sudden high fever, body aches, extreme tiredness and dry out cough are more common with the influenza than the cold. Other common symptoms of the flu include headache, chills, loss of appetite, sore throat and poor feeding if an infant. Nausea and upset stomach may sometimes occur, especially in young children. The influenza can also pb to more serious problems similar pneumonia and bacterial infections, sometimes resulting in hospitalization or death.

The seasonal flu should not be confused by what is usually known as the "tummy flu". Other circulating viruses that affects primarily the stomach with symptoms of airsickness and diarrhea cause the "stomach influenza".

Is COVID-19 different than the flu?

Although COVID-xix and the influenza are both respiratory infections caused by a virus and can take like symptoms, they are different, and both require unlike vaccines to protect against COVID-19 and the flu.

For more data almost COVID-xix, get to: manitoba.ca/covid19/

How is the flu spread?

Like other respiratory viruses, the flu is primarily spread from person to person through close contact past coughing, sneezing or sharing food or drinks. You lot can too get the flu by touching objects contaminated with the virus and and then touching your oral cavity, eyes or nose. A person can infect others before, and several days after, symptoms appear.

For these reasons, information technology is very important to stay abode if you accept whatever influenza symptoms, even if they are balmy. To reduce your risk of getting the flu, all Manitobans are encouraged to go the influenza vaccine. It is also of import to cover your nose and mouth with your forearm when you cough or sneeze and launder your hands often with soap and warm water for at to the lowest degree 15 to xx seconds (or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are unavailable). This is very important after coughing and sneezing, when caring for a sick person, after using the toilet and before/after eating.

What do I do if I, or my kid(ren), have the flu?

If you or your child(ren) become a respiratory infection, it is important to stay home, isolate and follow public health recommendations and orders. Contact Health Links – Info Santé or your health care provider to come across if yous or your child(ren) need assessment and/or medical treatment. They will also give you data on how long to isolate for, equally well as information on how to treat yourself or your child(ren) at home. Most people can treat their symptoms and recover at home. If symptoms worsen, or, if you lot or your child(ren) aren't recovering as you normally would, contact your health care provider or call Health Links – Info Santé at (204) 788-8200 or toll-free 1-888-315-9257.

Some symptoms tin be very serious and crave urgent medical care and treatment. Call 911 or get directly to an emergency room, nursing station or wellness centre if y'all or a loved ane is experiencing whatever severe symptoms, such as:

  • shortness of breath or difficulty breathing that persists or worsens;
  • severe weakness;
  • aridity, unable to go on any food or liquid downwards, or 12 hours of no or minimal urination;
  • drowsiness or confusion;
  • fever in an baby nether three months of historic period; or
  • neck stiffness.

People who have cold or influenza-similar symptoms should seek medical attention as soon as possible if they experience any of the following:

  • hard or painful breathing;
  • coughing up encarmine sputum (phlegm or saliva) ;
  • wheezing;
  • fever for three to 4 days that is not getting better or is getting worse;
  • sudden render of high fever or other symptoms after initial improvement;
  • extreme ear pain or discharge from the ear; or
  • feel severely ill.

What is the difference between the dissimilar influenza strains?

Influenza illness is caused past the influenza A and B viruses. These viruses can crusade balmy to severe illness in anyone who is infected. Certain populations, such as young children, seniors and those with medical conditions, may be at college take chances for farther complications.

H1N1 and H3N2 are both types of influenza A viruses. Both strains may bear upon populations differently and can vary annually. Nevertheless, generally, the H3N2 strain is more astringent in older adults and those living in long-term care facilities. The H1N1 strain typically affects the younger populations more severely. The almanac flu vaccine protects against both H1N1 and H3N2 strains.

Influenza B viruses generally are more astringent in infants and children. Manitoba's influenza vaccine protects confronting two strains of influenza B.

What is the flu vaccine?

There are many unlike strains of flu virus that circulate each year. The flu vaccine does not protect confronting all of them. Every yr, the Globe Health Organization monitors the global spread of flu and identifies which influenza strains volition probable crusade the most affliction during the flu season. Those strains are and so used to create the flu vaccine for that upcoming season. Because the strains can change every year, the vaccine can be different each yr. For this reason and because protection provided past the vaccine decreases over time, information technology's important to become the flu vaccine every fall.

The flu vaccine cannot offer protection against other viral or bacterial infections, including illnesses similar the common common cold, stomach flus, or other respiratory illnesses such every bit COVID-19. All the same, getting the flu vaccine may reduce the number of people getting ill and requiring medical handling in hospital in the fall and wintertime months. This is when respiratory illnesses generally peak in Canada and put extra force per unit area on the wellness care system.

Is the flu vaccine effective?

The influenza vaccine has been shown to exist effective against laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza. Immunization has shown to reduce the number of md visits, hospitalizations and deaths amid those at highest risk of flu and its complications, including:

  • people 65 years of age and older;
  • residents of personal intendance homes or long-term care facilities;
  • children six to 59 months of age;
  • individuals with a chronic wellness condition (ex: diabetes, asthma, etc.);
  • pregnant individuals;
  • health care workers and first responders ;
  • regular caregivers of children up to five years of age;
  • household contacts of anyone at highest take a chance including those with infants nether six months of historic period and/or expecting a newborn; and
  • Indigenous people.

Flu vaccine effectiveness can vary each year. It depends on how closely the circulating strains friction match the strains that are in the vaccine. No medical intervention is 100 per cent effective just being immunized against the flu is the best manner to prevent getting sick from the flu. It is improve than not being immunized at all and having no protection, and will help lessen the severity of flu symptoms should you lot happen to still become sick with the influenza.

What flu vaccines are available in Manitoba?

In that location are many different flu vaccines canonical by Health Canada. Canonical vaccines that are part of Manitoba's Seasonal Influenza Immunization Program are bachelor gratis-of-charge to all Manitobans. The influenza vaccines offered in Manitoba are inactivated vaccines and are given by injection (needle) for people six months of historic period and older. These vaccines are referred to as standard-dose vaccines. The other influenza vaccine available is as well administered by injection (needle) and is available for eligible people aged 65 years or older who are at higher chance of developing astringent complications from influenza. This is referred to as a high-dose influenza vaccine. Both the standard-dose and loftier-dose flu vaccine provide protection confronting four (two flu A and two flu B) flu strains that are most likely to cause illness.

People 65 years of age and older, particularly those living in a closed, congregate setting (due east.thousand., long-term care facility, supportive or assisted living, correctional facility) are very susceptible to influenza, and older people are more likely to experience complications requiring hospitalization. Evidence suggests they exercise non develop the best protection with the standard-dose flu vaccine. The high-dose flu vaccine offered to eligible persons aged 65 years and older is expected to provide ameliorate protection in the settings listed in a higher place because it contains more than of the flu virus per strain. This is also why people who live in some remote, isolated communities are besides eligible for the high-dose influenza vaccine, as they may not be able to become to a hospital for treatment very quickly, should they get sick with the influenza and demand assistance.

When should people get immunized against the flu?

The influenza season in Manitoba more often than not begins in late fall and lasts into spring. It is better for you or your kid(ren) to be immunized early in the flu season. This is because influenza vaccine takes almost two weeks to start working. Don't wait until people around yous or your child(ren) start getting sick earlier immunizing yourself or your child(ren). Nonetheless, y'all should still become immunized later in the flavour if you or your child(ren) did not go immunized early fall.

Who should get the flu vaccine?

An annual flu vaccine is available complimentary-of-charge to all Manitobans six months of age and older as office of Manitoba'due south routine immunization schedule. Getting immunized against the flu every year is specially important for Manitobans who are at increased run a risk of serious illness from the flu, their caregivers and shut contacts. The more than people who are immunized, including healthy individuals younger than 65 years of age, the improve because it helps protect themselves and those around them that they come into contact with who have sure medical conditions (ex: people undergoing cancer handling) and newborn infants who are unable to get immunized.

In add-on, people who get sick with the flu may need to be cared for in the infirmary. Getting the vaccine may help reduce the number of cases and go along people out of the hospital.

What if I, or my child(ren), have an allergy to eggs?

Many of the flu vaccines bachelor in Canada are manufactured by a process involving chicken eggs, which may issue in the flu vaccine containing trace amounts of egg protein. Public health officials have reviewed the data and determined that it is rubber for people allergic to eggs to be immunized confronting flu with whatsoever of the influenza vaccines available in Manitoba and Canada (needle or nasal spray). If you lot take any concerns, it is recommended you lot speak with your health intendance provider.

Is there mercury in flu vaccines?

Some influenza vaccines contain very small quantities of thimerosal. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative to continue the vaccine sterile by preventing bacterial or fungal growth in the vial. The small-scale amount of thimerosal used in a vaccine is proven to exist prophylactic and endless scientific studies have proven that there is no clan between babyhood vaccination with thimerosal-containing vaccines and neurodevelopmental weather condition such as autism). Flu vaccines in a vial that has multiple doses contain thimerosal. Single-dose flu vaccines practise non incorporate thimerosal. If y'all are concerned, speak to your health care provider.

Can I get the flu from the vaccine?

Flu vaccines cannot cause the influenza. Sometimes after getting a flu vaccine, a person may get flu-like symptoms such as chills and aches that can feel similar the influenza is coming. This is the torso's way of reacting to the vaccine by getting itself fix to fight the influenza virus if you lot got infected. These flu-like symptoms are more often than not mild and become away a few days afterwards vaccination.

Where can someone get the flu vaccine?

To find out the best time and identify as well as cheque for flu vaccine availability, contact your health care provider, your local public health office, nursing station, medico's function, pharmacy or ACCESS Centre, or go to the COVID-xix & Flu (Influenza) Vaccine Shot Finder where you tin seach locations that offer the flu vaccine in your expanse.

For more information on the flu or the influenza vaccine:

Talk to a wellness care provider.

Telephone call Health Links–Info Santé in Winnipeg at 204-788-8200; price-costless elsewhere in Manitoba 1-888-315-9257.

Or visit:

Manitoba's Seasonal Influenza Program:

  • world wide web.manitoba.ca/health/influenza/

For more data on COVID-19 or the COVID-nineteen vaccine:

Talk to a health care provider.

Call Health Links–Info Santé in Winnipeg at 204-788-8200; toll-free elsewhere in Manitoba 1-888-315-9257.

Or visit: www.manitoba.ca/covid19/