Influenza (Flu)

It is easier than ever to get your flu vaccine. Anyone aged six months and older who lives, works or attends school in Ontario is eligible to receive the publicly funded flu vaccine.

You can get your flu vaccine from: 

• Your primary care provider or family doctor
• Your local pharmacist
• Ottawa Public Health has flu clinics, including special clinics for children under 5 years old and their families. The under 5 clinics are by appointment only. Please, call the Ottawa Public Health Information Centre at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656). No appointments are needed for community flu clincis.

This year’s flu vaccines for children and adults protect against four different flu viruses: two influenza A viruses (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) and two influenza B viruses (B/Colorado and B/Phuket). This is a quadrivalent influenza vaccine (QIV). Babies and children 6 months to 9 years of age who have never had a flu shot will need 2 doses of the vaccine, given at least 4 weeks apart. Others only need one dose.

A quadrivalent live-attenuated vaccine (Q-LAIV) given as a nasal spray is available for children aged 2-17 years. It is equally effective as the injectable quadrivalent inactivated vaccine. Availability of this vaccine is very limited; check with your vaccine provider ahead of time.

A high-dose flu vaccine is also available for adults 65 years of age and older protecting against three different flu viruses: two influenza A viruses (A/H1N1 and A/H3N2) and one influenza B virus (B/Colorado).  This is a high-dose trivalent vaccine (high-dose TIV).  If you are 65 year old or older, your doctor can help you choose between QIV and high-dose TIV. Fluzone® High-Dose will be available through primary care providers (e.g. physicians and nurse practitioners), participating retirement homes, long-term care homes, hospitals and at Ottawa Public Health community flu clinics.Fluzone® High-Dose will not be available through pharmacies.

Get your flu shot!

You can help protect yourself against the flu by getting your flu vaccine. The earlier you get the vaccine, the better your chances are to prevent getting the flu. The flu is a viral infection that can have severe complications. Anyone can get the flu virus. The flu is not just a cold. You could miss school, work, parties, holidays, or even end up in the hospital.

The flu vaccine helps your body help itself. The vaccine will trigger your body to fight off infection if you come into contact with the flu. This means you either will not get the flu, or the symptoms will be greatly reduced. Each year, different strains of the flu virus appear. Scientists predict which strains will be most likely to affect us for the coming year. These strains are used to make up the year's flu vaccine. This is why it is important to be immunized each fall.

Getting your flu vaccine is good for everyone. When more people get their flu vaccine, the odds of the flu virus spreading goes down. This protects those who are most vulnerable such as children under five, adults 65 years or older, pregnant women, as well as those living with chronic health conditions like diabetes, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.

In addition to getting your flu shot, these steps also help stop the flu from spreading:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with your arm, not your hand.
• If you are sick, stay at home and avoid crowds and public gathering.
• Do not visit hospitalized patients or residents of retirement homes or long-term care homes if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms.

The flu vaccine is safe for anyone 6 months of age or older who does not have a contraindication to the flu vaccine.

Flu vaccine is contraindicated in persons who had an anaphylactic reaction to the flu vaccine or to a component of the flu vaccine before. If you had an anaphylactic reaction to a flu vaccine before, a consultation with an allergist is recommended prior to flu vaccination. Persons with egg allergy can safely receive any influenza vaccine and do not need any special precautions or testing.

The quadrivalent live-attenuated influenza vaccine given as a nasal spray (Flumist® Quadrivalent) is also contraindicated for the following persons:

• Individuals with severe or uncontrolled asthma,
• Children and adolescents 2 to 17 years of age currently receiving aspirin or aspirin-containing therapy,
• Pregnant women (because of a theoretical risk to the fetus from a vaccine containing live virus), and
• Persons with immune compromising conditions (because this vaccine contains live virus).

Workplaces that have an occupational health department can organize a clinic themselves with their own equipment. The application for the 2018-19 period is now closed.
The registration period is typically open for one month starting in June of each year. For more information about registering for the Universal Influenza Immunization Program (UIPP), please visit the Ministry of Health and Long-Term care’s UIIP information page.

Many people confuse the terms “cold” and “flu.” Influenza (flu) is a respiratory viral infection that can lead to severe complications. The flu is not just a cold. You could miss school, work, parties, holidays, or even end up in the hospital. Below is a list of common symptoms of the flu compared with a common cold.

If you have flu-like symptoms, including a fever, a cough, severe headache and/or chills, be sure to:

• Rest.
• Drink lots of fluids.
• Take basic pain or fever relievers if needed.

Contact your doctor if symptoms are severe and do not improve after a few days.

There are many ways to get non-emergency medical care. Trained professionals from Telehealth Ontario and the Ottawa Public Health Information Centre can answer your questions by phone, and family doctors, nurses and other health care providers can provide care.

For the latest public health information, you can contact Ottawa Public Health Information Centre at 613-580-6744 (TTY: 613-580-9656) or on Facebook and Twitter (@ottawahealth). To reach Telehealth Ontario, call 1-866-797-0000