Doctors, pharmacists urge Ontarians to get flu shots as province sees surge in cases

As flu cases rise across the province and vaccine hesitancy persists, Ontario pharmacists and doctors are urging residents to get vaccinated.

Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist at Toronto General Hospital, said the flu shot is the best way to prevent getting infected.

“The message is: Get a flu vaccine,” he told CBC Radio metro morning This week.

“The flu is a disgusting, nasty virus that can really send people to the hospital.”

While flu season is just getting started in parts of the Southern Hemisphere, Ontario Cases have already seen a rise – above average for the second year in a row.

Flu season is going on abroad marked by The record number of cases, as well as the early start of the season in parts of Asia and the UK, as Canada heads into winter, could be a sign of things to come.

Public Health Ontario data shows about two per cent of tests for influenza came back positive from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 – the most recent monitoring period – and noted that was higher than the previous week.

The provincial health agency anticipates the number of cases will continue to rise in November, especially among children.

Still, vaccine hesitancy and apathy persist. The uncertainty is part of the reason the topic of vaccines has been top of mind for so long — especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, said Sandra Hanna, a Toronto pharmacist and CEO of the Neighborhood Pharmacists Association of Canada.

“There’s a lot more to it than just general fatigue,” Hanna told CBC Toronto this week.

“We want to get back to that mindset that this is part of a regular practice to keep us healthy, not just as individuals, but as a whole population.”

Latest strain mutation may be mismatched for flu shot

A new influenza A strain is also increasing some people’s reluctance toward vaccination. H3N2 It is generally known to cause more serious infections, especially in older people.

What’s particularly troubling? some experts Says the latest mutation is widening the gap between the virus and the available flu shot, potentially making it a mismatch.

But that doesn’t mean the efficacy of vaccination is zero, it just means it could be low, Bogoch said.

“There are three types of influenza circulating,” he said. “You won’t know what stress you’re exposed to.”

Hannah agrees. She says a vaccine is better than no vaccine at all.

“When there is a mismatch, the effectiveness is potentially reduced a little bit, but a vaccine will still provide some protection,” Hanna said.

Pharmacy students helping with vaccination

Starting in November, more than 265 first-year Doctor of Pharmacy students at the University of Toronto’s Leslie Dann Faculty of Pharmacy will turn to local pharmacies to help administer injections under the supervision of pharmacists.

Program director Natalie Crown said more Canadians are turning to pharmacies to get their vaccinations because of the proximity and easy access.

“This is an additional set of hands in community pharmacies that are already busy this time of year to help vaccinate our communities,” he told CBC Toronto on Thursday.

Crown said she has been teaching for many years and students are always excited to get a hands-on approach to learning.

“This is a really concrete way they can help right away in their pharmacy practice environment,” he said. “The pharmacists who are getting them are excited about it, too.”