October 14, 2004
Healthy Living Minister Launches 2004 Influenza Vaccination Campaign
Healthy Living Minister Launches 2004 Influenza Vaccination Campaign- - -
Get the Shot - Not the Flu: Oswald
"Getting a flu shot is probably the best thing you can do to prevent the flu this winter," said Oswald. "It will help to keep you healthy, protect those around you from becoming ill and help make the best possible use of our health care resources."
Flu vaccines are free for:
· Manitobans aged 65 or older, those who have a chronic health illness or those who live in a personal care home;
· infants aged six to 23 months and those who care for infants from birth to 23 months;
· health care workers and first responders such as police officers, firefighters, and ambulance workers.
Influenza vaccines are safe and cannot cause the flu or pneumonia. Getting a flu shot last year will not provide protection this year. To be protected, a flu shot is needed every fall.
Influenza is a disease that affects the whole body. It is spread through sneezing and coughing and is characterized by a sudden onset of fever and chills, cough, body aches and pains, fatigue and headaches.
Influenza can be deadly, especially for the elderly and those with a chronic illness. Chronic illnesses where a flu shot may be appropriate include heart and lung disease, diabetes, ongoing kidney disease, most cancers and other conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, organ transplants and HIV/AIDs. For people with these conditions, influenza can lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, hospitalization or even death.
Oswald also noted that many Manitobans should also consider the pneumococcal vaccine.
"Ask your public health nurse or doctor about a 'pneumo' shot to protect against pneumonia and other serious infections. These shots are also free for many Manitobans. For most people, one pneumo shot will give them lifelong protection against most kinds of pneumococcal pneumonia."
The pneumococcal vaccine is free for Manitobans 65 years of age or older, individuals in personal care homes, people with weakened immune systems and those with chronic conditions such as lung, heart and kidney disease.
Eligible individuals can receive flu and pneumococcal vaccinations at any of the public health flu clinics throughout the province during October and November or from their family physician.
More information is available at https://www.gov.mb.ca/health/flu/index.html.
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BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
Persons recommended by
Manitoba Health to receive influenza vaccine and for whom vaccine is available at no cost:a) People at high risk
- Children aged six to 23 months.
- Adults 65 years of age and older.
- Adults and children with chronic heart or lung disorders (including chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis and asthma) severe enough to require regular medical followup.
- People of any age who are residents of personal care homes or other chronic care facilities.
- Adults and children with chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and other metabolic diseases, cancer, immunodeficiency, immunosuppression (due to underlying disease and/or therapy), kidney disease, anemia, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, alcoholism, etc.
- Children and adolescents (age six months to 18 years) with conditions treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid.
b) People capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk
· Household contacts of children under six months of age (who are at high risk of complications from influenza but for whom there is currently no licensed vaccine).
· Household contacts of children six to 23 months whether or not they have been immunized.
· Pregnant women in their third trimester expected to deliver between Oct. 1 and March 31.
· Those providing regular child care to children from birth to 23 months, whether in or out of the home.
·
Health -care workers, volunteers and other personnel in settings where care is provided for those at high risk noted above. This would include employees in hospitals, physicians' offices, personal care homes, seniors' recreation centres, home-care employees and first responders (police officers, firefighters, ambulance workers).· Household contacts of people at high risk of influenza complications including family, relatives or friends of persons in chronic care institutions who visit frequently.
· Household contacts of people 65 years of age and over.