Vaxed to the max: No sign of vaccine fatigue as N.S. flu shot campaign ramps up
Despite some fears of vaccine fatigue in the region, it would seem Nova Scotian's are anxious to get a flu shot this year.
There are no firm numbers at the moment, but pharmacies are reporting very high demand since the vaccine arrived last week.
There wasn't a lot of flu vaccine left at Greg Richard's pharmacy in north end Halifax Tuesday, but he says he didn't get a particularly big shipment.
Regular customers, like Doug Mullenger, were first in line to get it.
"I believe in the vaccine. I believe in the flu shot and I believe in the shingles shot, and I had the pneumonia shot. I have all the shots," says Mullenger.
Richard says his limited initial shipment didn't go very far.
"I'm definitely seeing a bigger demand. To be honest with you, I wish that I had more vaccine that I could give," says Richard.
It was exactly one week ago the shots started rolling out in some bigger pharmacies and lineups formed almost immediately.
The Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia (PANS) won't have hard numbers for another week, but the woman in charge says no one knew what to expect with the COVID-19 virus still around.
"We were actually questioning whether there would be vaccine fatigue," says PANS CEO Allison Bodnar
"Would people just wrongly assume that their COVID vaccine would be enough?"
According to some pharmacists, that doesn't seem to be the case.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health, reinforced the message at a COVID-19 briefing on Oct. 19.
"If you’re booked for a COVID vaccine with your pharmacy, ask them if you can get your flu shot at the same time," said Strang, during a live COVID-19 presser last week.
Michelle Thompson, Nova Scotia's health minister, says she's not overly concerned about vaccine fatigue.
"I'm hopeful that the positive campaign that we've had around COVID will encourage people to get the influenza vaccine this year - perhaps people who haven't typically gotten that," says Thompson.
Infants, seniors, and immunocompromised individuals are among those being urged to get the shot sooner rather than later, but anyone who already has flu symptoms should get a COVID-19 first.
Despite the vaccines being completely different, some of the messaging is the same and very familiar, such as its needed duration to provide protection.
Flu season traditionally arrives in late December or early January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.