Flu shots soon available in Nova Scotia

Bookings are now open

CITYnews halifax \ Meghan Groff

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Nova Scotians can now book their annual influenza vaccine.

The province has ordered 474,000 doses and needles start going into arms as of Saturday.

Appointments can be booked online through the same website we used for COVID shots, or by calling 1-833-797-7772 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

You can also get an appointment by directly contacting your family doctor, nurse practitioner or family practice nurse.

You can not get the flu from the flu shot.

At a media availability Monday, the province’s chief medical officer of health encouraged all Nova Scotians to consider getting one.

“I know some people say they never get sick or they’ll be okay if they get influenza. That may be true for them, but it’s not true for everyone,” Dr. Robert Strang told reporters.

“We continue to see an increase in respiratory illness in 2022 that we haven’t seen in the last couple of years of the pandemic, especially in children,” he added. “And in the Southern Hemisphere they’re entering their spring, just coming out of their flu season. They had early and substantial surges of influenza, again with a focus on children.”

He said even a typical flu season in Nova Scotia would put increased pressure on an already strained health care system.

“Anything we can do to help out our health care system, because all of us may need that for some other reason at any time,” Strang pointed out.

It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to start providing protection.

Flu season is generally considered to start in late December or early January, however the Department of Health and Wellness says there’s already been a handful of cases reported in the province this season.

Those over the age of 65, children six months to five years old, pregnant people, those in crowded living situations, residents of long-term care facilities and people with chronic illness are considered to be at high risk.

“So for these groups and people who provide care to them, whether they’re health care providers or family members, getting a influenza vaccine every year remains extremely important,” Strang said.

Anyone aged five and up can get an influenza vaccine before, after or even at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine, however children between the ages of six months and four years should separate the two by 14 days.

“COVID-19 vaccinations do not protect against influenza, and the influenza vaccine does not protect against COVID-19,” the province reminded.