Seniors’ group pushes for high-dose flu shot coverage

Opposition governments supports coverage

CITYnews halifax \ Adam Inniss about

Listen to this article

It’s flu season, and cases this year are higher than usual. But as usual, Nova Scotians over 65 are not all provided with a free high-dose shot, even though they’re at a higher risk of complications.

“It’s disappointing that we are being forced to talk about this topic year after year,” said Bill VanGorder in an interview with CityNews Halifax.

VanGorder is the chief operations officer for CARP, also known as the Canadian Association for Retired Persons, a group that advocates for the rights of senior Citizens.

CARP has been pushing for high-dose vaccines for senior citizens for years. They say it’s getting more urgent.

VanGorder and his wife Ester got their high-dose flu shot recently—it cost them $230.

In Nova Scotia, people over 65 are provided the vaccine only if they are in long term care homes or in the hospital waiting for long term care. All other senior citizens who want protection against the flu will have to pay like VanGorder.

“We give it to people in long term care homes, somehow we’re saying the people who don’t live in long term care who also want to stay healthy, we don’t give it to them. It doesn’t make sense.”

The national commission of immunization recommends the high-dose vaccine for people over 65. Recently, the opposition in Nova Scotia have come out in support of providing the shots.

Both the Liberals and NDP say they would like to see free high-dose flu vaccines for those 65 and up.

But VanGorder is skeptical, “we made this same pitch to the Liberals when they were in power and they didn’t do it.”

VanGorder doesn’t think it will happen this year, and he wonders about what has been stopping it all these years.

“It’s really difficult, we believe it’s bureaucrats on some level holding this up.”

Other Atlantic provinces, PEI and New Brunswick, provide free high-dose immunization for their seniors.

“We have got to stop this logjam,” says VanGorder.