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RANKIN INLET/KIVALLIQ - Keewatin Air and the Kivalliq Regional Department of Health have teamed up once again to combat the flu virus.

Keewatin Air is offering everyone who gets the flu shot a chance to win a pair of free tickets to anywhere the airline flies.

Keewatin Air Rankin Inlet base manager Rose Marie Gnos gets her flu shot from registered nurse Mona Bella Yacapin in Rankin this past week. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo

Calm Air has also donated one ticket to the campaign for a second year.

John McFee of Keewatin Air said this is the fifth year the airline has sponsored the campaign.

He said it's incredibly important for as many Kivalliq residents to be immunized as possible.

"The flu is such a dangerous disease, especially for the young and old to come down with," said McFee.

"The more people immunized, the greater the chance there won't be any epidemic-like outbreaks in any Kivalliq community."

The number of people to receive the flu shot has risen since Keewatin Air came on board as a sponsor in 2004.

McFee said 43 per cent of residents got the shot in 2007 and the target for this year is 50 per cent.

"From our perspective, sponsoring the immunization campaign goes along with our commitment to the health of the residents of the Kivalliq region.

"It fits hand in hand with the medevac program and other health-training initiatives we do in the region."

Public health nurse Andrea McIntosh said the flu shot isn't just for personal protection.

She said the benefits extend to loved ones and the community in general.

"We call it herd protection because the more people who are immunized, the better the protection for the community," said McIntosh.

"If you get the actual disease, you can give it to your loved ones and to the elders who are very vulnerable.

"In fact, if they get the flu, it could mean they become so sick they could die.

"It's the same for the young, who have no natural immunity."

Public health nurses will be at various locations in the community offering the flu shot free of charge.

People may also go to their public health station to get their shot, or call to have a nurse come to their place of business and administer the shot to employees.

McIntosh said there is no clinical evidence to support the claims of people who say they get the flu more during years they get the shot.

She said what often happens is people mistake cold symptoms for the flu.

"When a person gets the actual flu, they can expect to spend four to seven days being very sick in bed and not able to go to school or work.

"The whole community would close if we were to have a flu epidemic.

"Schools and churches would be closed, the stores would only be able to let 10 people in at a time to shop and the arena would close, ending all the hockey tournaments during that time.

"It's important for us all to work together to prevent that from happening here."