SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A small crowd of people gathered at the Northern United Place Thursday afternoon to get their annual flu shot.

Bernie Bennett visited Northern United Place last Thursday to have his annual flu shot. He said he doesn't go a year without it. - Nicole Veerman/NNSL photo

Bernie Bennett said he gets his every year.

"I own my own business and work every day except Christmas Day and New Year's Day, so I can't afford to be sick," he said after getting a poke in the arm from a public health nurse.

Flu clinics opened in Yellowknife Oct. 25 and will continue through to Nov. 26.

Donna Allen, director of population health for the NWT Department of Health and Social Services, said so far the turnout has been good, although numbers won't be released until the campaign is complete.

She said it's important that everyone in the city get their vaccine to avoid spending "a miserable seven to 14 days with aches and pains and fevers and a runny nose."

Influenza, or the flu, is an infection that affects the respiratory tract. Symptoms are a high fever, headaches, aches and pains, fatigue, a stuffy nose, sore throat and coughing.

Allen said people over 65 years of age, very young children and people with chronic health conditions, like asthema, diabetes or heart conditions, are at a particularly high risk of complications due to the flu.

"We always encourage them to definitely get a flu shot," she said. "But if they can't, everyone else getting a flu shot protects them."

At the clinic on Thursday was Phila Fyten. She said her mother was a nurse, so she's always been a "strong believer in immunization."

"I want to stay healthy this winter," she said as she rolled down her sleeve after her shot.

Last year, Fyten said she received the regular flu shot and the H1N1 shot.

"I always get everything they offer," she said.

This year the shots have been combined into one, said Allen.

Some 62 per cent of the territory's residents were immunized against H1N1 last year, the second highest level in the country, behind only Newfoundland and Labrador.

The next flu shot clinic will be held Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-op.

"We encourage Yellowknifers to get out and do it," said Allen.

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