MONTREAL - Public health officials are reminding people to get their annual flu shots before the sniffling and sneezing begins.
The annual flu vaccination campaign begins Tuesday, with a goal to protect Montrealers from the nasty virus.
"And it's by far the best way to protect yourself against the flu," said Dr. Terry Tannenbaum, deputy director of the Montreal Public Health Department.
One in six Montreal is expected to get the flu this season. The health department is teaming up with CLSCs and 40 pharmacies to administer the vaccine, proven in studies to be 62 per cent effective.
"It's a substantial protectiveness, but also by vaccinating the entourage you keep yourself from transmitting the disease to other people and keep them from getting sick," said Tannenbaum.
Those in high-risk groups are entitled to free shots, including infants between six and 23 months old, adults 60 and over, and those with a range of illnesses, included heart, lung and kidney ailments, diabetes, cancer, asthma and immune deficiencies.
"I have to check with my doctor first, because of some health issues I'm having, but I am quite sure I'll be taking it," said Deborah Dwire, who falls into the over-60 set.
Pregnant women in their second and third trimesters, and those around newborn babies, are also in the at-risk group eligible for free shots. It's something new mom Samara Dalfen takes seriously.
"And this is the first year with our new daughter. We're gonna get vaccinated for her, because she's too young to get vaccinated. So my husband and I have decided we will get vaccinated to protect our daughter," she said.
The number of people who received flu shots dropped by 56 per cent in 2009/10 from 2008/09
In the health care field, number also dropped dramatically – from 41 per cent in 2008/09 to 17 per cent in 2010/11. It's something Tannenbaum said the public health agency is trying to change.
"This year we're doing a special effort to increase the vaccination rate among healthcare workers," she said.
That's something Dr. Adeline Khadoury supports.
"I find it quite ironic (that so few get the shot). A lot of the physicians I know that I've trained with, we'd all just go get it or give it to each other and our kids," said Khadoury.
