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WHAT'S NEW
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Should you get a flu shot?
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It's a decision every Canadian must face amid a bombardment of ads, advice and reports of an inevitable pandemic.
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By Allan Britnell
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Is the medical community unanimous in its support of flu vaccine programs?
No. There are a number of health-care professionals who feel that the flu vaccine is ineffective and even potentially dangerous. In 2001 a group of Toronto paramedics made headlines for refusing to take a compulsory flu shot. Threatened with losing their jobs, the paramedics held their ground until the Ontario Ministry of Health backed down and made the program optional. "I disagreed with the fact that we were not given a choice. But I had already decided not to get the flu shot because I didn't believe that it was necessary and effective," says paramedic Roberta Scott, five years - and still no flu shot - later.
How much does it cost? Are there any availability issues? When should I get the flu shot?
The flu shot is free for all residents of Ontario. In all other provinces and territories, the flu shot is free for people considered at "high risk of influenza-related complications." These include children six to 23 months of age, adults 65 and older and people with chronic health conditions, such as anemia, diabetes and cancer, among others.
But even if you don't qualify for a freebie, the flu shot is a fairly cheap ounce of prevention. The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON), for example, vaccinated more than 220,000 Canadians last year, charging about $15 per person.
Given the time it takes to produce the vaccine, the provinces have to estimate the number of doses they'll need and place orders in the spring for the coming season. (Approximately 11 million doses were ordered for 2006-2007.)
Manufacturers also produce roughly one million doses for nongovernment agencies (such as the VON) to administer on a first-come, first-served basis.
Industry-wide production problems mean arrival of the vaccine will be late this year, although it should arrive before the flu season begins. In the event of some unforeseen spike in demand, high-risk individuals would be given priority.
Since it takes a couple of weeks for the antibodies to develop, you should get your shot in October to mid-November, just before flu season starts.
Click here for a complete list of flu vaccine information for each province and territory.
I'm terrified of needles. Can't i just take a pill?
There are pills called antivirals that treat influenza and are known to prevent infection. Unfortunately, provincial health plans do not cover antivirals as a preventive medicine.
In 2003 the United States government approved a vaccine using live, weakened influenza virus administered in a nasal spray. While Canadian health-care professionals are monitoring U.S. results, the sprays aren't approved here.
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