Even though some people claim to have been hit by the flu already, there's still one more week to go before you can start getting immunized against the virus in Alberta.  

Alberta Health Services says immunizations begin Monday, October 15th and is free of charge for Albertans six months and older.  A lot of pharmacies are already booking appointments to get your flu shot,  This year, pharmacists will be allowed to administer the vaccine to everyone five years of age and older.  In previous years they were only able to give it to those nine years of age and older.

Alberta Health Services Medical Officer of Health Dr. Judy MacDonald says there are some very obvious people that should get a flu shot.  "We know that influenza can cause complications and severe illness in people who are elderly and young children, people that have underlying medical conditions like heart disease, lung disease, diabetes.  Pregnant women.  All of them should be getting immunized."

However, Dr. MacDonald says don't check out just yet, after reading that list.  Flu immunization is also important for everyone else, even if you think you're relatively healthy.

"Sometimes influenza is not kind to them and they could end up in hospital and sometimes even worse.  I think people just don't appreciate just how serious influenza can be and they think 'oh, I've always been healthy, I've never been sick, I'm going to be fine' until they're not."

McDonald points out that sometimes people say they 'have the flu' when they have a bout of vomiting and diarrhea which is not often typical influenza.  That, she insists, is typically not influenza.  

"Influenza is a virus that affects the respiratory system.  It can have symptoms that are similar to a cold, but it's not a cold.  Influenza comes on suddenly.  You're fine, and an hour later, you're not fine.  You may have chills and a sudden onset of headache, and then develop fever and muscle aches and pains and you're just exhausted, you're tired.  You're not able to function for at least three to five days or longer.  You also develop a dry cough and that cough can last for weeks and the tiredness can last for weeks.  That doesn't happen with a cold."

The immunization rate in 2017 - 2018 was just 29 percent with 1.3 million doses given.  This year, the province has ordered 1.6 million doses.

Last year's flu season hit Alberta extremely hard.  There were 9,069 lab-confirmed cases of influenza compared to about 4,500 the year previous.  Of those, nearly 3,300 cases occurred in the AHS Calgary zone.  3,047 Albertans were hospitalized, an increase of over 1,300 from the year before.  1,100 people were hospitalized in the Calgary zone. 

92 Albertans who were hospitalized died from influenza. 

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