On the run-up to the flu season many pharmacy chain started to get ready to give flu shots for local population. COVID-19 pandemic significantly decreased plan of vaccination, because of fear of people to be infected. To date were decided to allow pharmacists vaccinate local population, but now they have gone further and start to use “mobile flu shot clinics.”
To this initiative were joined Giant Food Pharmacy, Carilion Clinic, Hamilton’s paramedic service and many others.
“As we prepare for the possibility of the unprecedented convergence of COVID-19 and flu, getting your annual flu shot is more important than ever to help you, your family and your community stay healthy,” said Paul Zvaleny, Giant Food Director of Pharmacy Operations. “We are eager to make flu shots as accessible as possible for members of our communities and are hoping to continue to expand this program to more parts of the region to service people and communities who might not have easy access to a pharmacy. As Pharmacists being the most accessible healthcare professionals, we need to ensure we expand that access to people and communities in need.”
6 Times As Many At-Risk Residents Will Be Covered By Mobile Flu Clinics
Hamilton’s paramedic service hopes to vaccinate about 2,400 people through mobile flu vaccine clinics this fall.
“With the risk of a simultaneous cold and flu season, it’s even more important now to get people immunized against the flu as early as possible,” said EMS Chief Mike Sanderson.
Company begin to include homeless shelters and social housing buildings into their list of compulsory vaccination. Sanderson says it’s hoped that the local health integration network will pay the $40,000 cost of the program, as it has done for the past two years.
The mobile clinics will start on October 15, depending on vaccine availability. This will be the largest flu immunization campaign in Ontario’s history, spending nearly $70 million to buy 5.1 million flu vaccines to meet demand. That includes 1.5 million high-dose shots for seniors.
Different Flu Vaccines Are Approved For Use In Different Groups Of People
- There are flu shots approved for use in children as young as 6 months old and flu shots approved for use in adults 65 years and older.
- Flu shots also are recommended and approved for use in pregnant women and people with certain chronic health conditions.
- The nasal spray flu vaccine is approved for use in non-pregnant individuals who are 2 years through 49 years of age. People with some certain medical conditions should not receive the nasal spray flu vaccine.
Carilion Clinic began their mobile health outreach initiative on September, and hosting free flu shot events four times a week between now and the end of October. Since the program started a couple of weeks ago, they’ve already given out more than 300 flu shots.
“My biggest hope for flu season is that [with] a lot of the precautions and the things we’ve been putting into place that people are listening,” health workforce supervisor Cris Sheffield said. “And that we will be able to keep it down and keep it pretty good so that we don’t complicate it with COVID and the pandemic we’re already dealing with.” Giant Food Pharmacy announced starting of vaccination season on last days of September too.
“Standard flu shots as well as the high dose flu vaccine for customers over the age of 64 are available at all Giant mobile flu clinics. Pharmacists can recommend and administer the appropriate immunizations based on specific patient needs,” – the company said, ” As part of Giant’s ongoing effort to support the wellbeing of customers, all customers receiving their flu shots will be offered complimentary vaccination reviews.”
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