Flu Vaccinations Urged Before the Holidays to Protect Vulnerable Family Members

FILE: London Drugs pharmacist, Christine Saby, administers a flu shot. (Supplied photo)

Pharmacist: ‘Get your flu shot for Grandma’s sake’

December 20 2019, Vancouver, BC – With the busy social season approaching, pharmacists are reminding British Columbians to get vaccinated before celebrating the holidays with friends and family. London Drugs pharmacist Gianni Del Negro points out that getting the flu shot will not only help protect individuals from contracting the flu, but will also help to protect those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness.

“Get your flu shot for grandma’s sake,” he says. “For healthy individuals, catching the flu might put a bit of a damper on the holidays but for those who are more vulnerable – like babies, young children, the elderly and people with certain health conditions – the flu can be deadly. So, it is important to do everything you can to ensure you’re not passing along the flu virus to them.”

The influenza virus is highly contagious. Infected airborne droplets can live up to two days on contaminated objects, or up to five minutes on skin, allowing the virus to spread quickly from person to person.

“Holiday get-togethers can be an ideal breeding ground for spreading the flu virus. People are socializing more, with lots of hugs, kisses and handshakes being exchanged. Things like finger food and drink glasses can be carriers as well. Getting vaccinated is the best defense,” says Del Negro.

According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, there were 143 cases of lab-confirmed Influenza A and 7 cases of lab-confirmed Influenza B reported between the start of this year’s flu season and their last surveillance report.[1]

“It can take up to two weeks for the flu shot to become effective so if you want to be protected and protect your loved ones for the holidays, get vaccinated right away,” says Del Negro.

In addition to getting a flu shot, there are a number of other precautions British Columbians can take to help prevent the spread of the illness and stay healthy during the holiday season. Pharmacist Gianni Del Negro recommends the following:

1) Wash your hands. Washing your hands is the best way to stop the spread of germs.

This will go a long way towards ensuring viruses don’t reach the nose, mouth or eyes. For effective cold and flu prevention, ensure you are washing your hands frequently and thoroughly. Use warm water and wash all parts of your hands with plain soap for at least 20 seconds, rubbing hands together to create a lather.

For children, have them recite their A,B,C’s while washing, to ensure they’re not cutting their wash time short.

2) Limit close, physical contact with infected individuals. If a family member gets sick, avoid close contact and sharing contaminated objects. Viruses can spread through toys, doorknobs, and cellphones, even if you don’t bring them close to your mouth. For example, the cold virus can survive up to 7 days on dry inanimate surfaces.

3) Practice good self-care. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Party food, cocktails, lack of exercise and back-to-back gatherings with family and friends can cause your immune system to get rundown, leaving you vulnerable to the flu or cold virus. Small actions like prioritizing get-togethers, getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, exercising, and following a healthy diet can all contribute to good self-care which will help keep your immune system in tip top shape.

4) Hands away from your face. We touch our faces 2000 to 3000 times a day. During cold and flu season especially, that’s thousands of times you could potentially be spreading a virus from your hands to the mouth, nose and eyes, increasing the chances of getting sick. To avoid the spread of infectious airborne droplets, always sneeze or cough into your elbow.

5) Avoid handshakes: Avoiding any unnecessary contact like handshakes. While handshakes themselves aren’t the true culprit, rubbing your nose or eyes afterwards may cause the spread of a virus. If shaking hands is unavoidable, just excuse yourself as soon as possible to go wash your hands.

6) Take care when exiting public washrooms. Your freshly washed hands won’t be clean for long if you’re touching the tap and door on your way out of a public washroom. You could easily be picking up new germs from those surfaces, as many people fail to wash their hands properly before exiting. If possible, use a tissue or paper towel to turn off the tap (if it doesn’t use a sensor) and cover the door handle as you leave.

7) Beware of keypads. Our fingers are constantly touching shared surfaces like keypads: at the ATM, the restaurant, the elevator, the parking kiosk, and virtually every retail establishment while holiday shopping. Use a hand sanitizer frequently.

8) If you do get sick, symptom relief is available. If you do start to feel unwell, Pharmacists can provide advice about the right over-the-counter medications to manage specific symptoms. Symptoms of the flu include a sudden high fever of 38 to 40 degrees Celsius; fatigue, chills and sweating; runny and stuffy nose; sneezing and sore throat; dry cough; loss of appetite; as well as muscle aches and pains.

ABOUT LONDON DRUGS

Founded in 1945, B.C.-based London Drugs has 82 stores in more than 35 major markets throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba including its online store www.LondonDrugs.com. London Drugs offers consumers a range of products from digital cameras and cosmetics to computers and televisions. Renowned for its creative approach to retailing, the company employs more than 7,500 people with pharmacy and health care services being the heart of its business. Committed to innovation and superior customer service, London Drugs has established itself as a reputable and caring company and continues to position itself for future growth and development.