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Battling the winter bug Laura Busch Northern News Services Published Friday, November 4, 2011
The NWT department of health and social services began hosting walk-in flu clinics in Yellowknife on Nov. 1. Clinics will continue throughout the month of November. "The turnout has been excellent so far. Obviously, my hope would be that everybody would come in for their flu immunization, but there's people who don't feel that it's necessary," said Dr. Lorne Clearsky, the NWT's chief medical health officer, just after receiving his flu shot on Tuesday afternoon. Phila Fyten was also vaccinated. She said getting a flu shot is necessary. "My mom was a nurse; therefore, I'm a firm believer in vaccination. I'll take anything they have to offer," said the GNWT employee and longtime Northerner. "Second of all, my doctor makes me. She checks to make sure, she's very diligent, and I appreciate that." Nurses administering the flu shots were kept busy during the clinic, where a steady stream of community members filtered through during the afternoon - sometimes forming a line of 15 or more at the door. "Bring yourself, bring your health-care card, and that's pretty much all you need," said Clearsky. "It's important to let everybody know that everybody has a possibility of getting the flu and, unless you're locking yourself up for the next six months and never see anyone, certainly you're (at) risk." Those who are most at risk of catching influenza - and of serious complications - are: anyone over the age of 65, living in a long-term care facility, anyone with a chronic illness, children over six months of age and women who are pregnant or have young children. Also, anyone who has direct contact with these people on a regular basis are encouraged to get the shot so that they don't risk infecting those with vulnerable immune systems. "One of the other simple things you can do is wash your hands. Wash your hands as often as you can to make sure you prevent yourself from getting it as well," said Clearsky. "We do know that it can last on things like doorknobs, etcetera for a long period of time, so we feel it's important that people get their vaccine - their flu shot." There were fewer flu shots administered in 2010 than in 2009, when 62 per cent of the population received their vaccines versus 21 per cent who were immunized last year. The health commissioner attributes this drop to the fact that 2009 was the year when H1N1 was posing a public health threat. "It's difficult because (the amount of people getting their flu shot) waxes and wanes over time," said Clearsky. "Certainly with H1N1 that happened a couple of years ago, we probably saw an increase in uptake. But it's pretty much stable. "There are going to be the abstainers who just feel they don't need it and there's going to be people who understand that it's important to them. And we certainly respect all people's opinions around that but we still encourage people to come in and get it every year." The next walk-in immunization clinic in Yellowknife will be on Nov. 7 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Yk Primary Care Centre. Clinic dates can also be found on the NWT health and social services' website. By the numbers: Flu season in the NWT
Immunization clinics
Source: Department of Health and Social Services
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