A Fraser Health medical health officer is encouraging everyone to get their annual COVID and flu shots, as there has been an uptick in the number of viruses in the community.
Dr. Carolyn Wonneck said getting influenza and COVID-19 immunizations is essential annually as "protection from these vaccines wears off with time."
"We are encouraging everyone who's eligible to get the flu and the COVID vaccine," Wonneck said. "They are some of the best measures we have to protect against getting sick, and even if you don't get very sick from any of these illnesses, there are other people who you may spread it to who could get very sick from them, and so these vaccines are not only to protect yourself from getting sick, but also to protect others as well."
This year's COVID and flu vaccine helps protect against the strain of the circulating virus.
"So getting both of these shots will give you just a bit of a better protection against what's what's out there and making people sick," Wonneck said.
Health Canada approved in September Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna's updated Spikevax vaccines, which target the KP.2 subvariant of Omicron, and Novavax's Nuvaxovid vaccine, which targets the JN.1 variant.
If you have previously registered with the Get Vaccinated system, you will receive an email or text notification with a personalized booking link. People can also call the provincial call centre toll-free at 1-833-838-2323.
Those not registered can visit getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca.
Wonneck added that it is perfectly safe to get both shots simultaneously.
More than 369,000 vaccines were administered in the first week of the provincial campaign, Dr. Bonnie Henry said during an update on B.C.'s respiratory illness season in Victoria on Tuesday (Oct. 22). It was 228,000 influenza doses and 141,000 for COVID-19. That's about 4,000 more doses administered than in the 2023 vaccination kickoff.
For more information about the flu and COVID-19, visit fraserhealth.ca/defence.
-With files from Lauren Collins
