Local pharmacist reminds residents to protect themselves during upcoming Flu season

A local pharmacist is reminding residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and the common Flu this year by getting vaccinated.

Steven Leong works at the Shoppers Drug Mart Pharmacy in College Heights, he says getting vaccinated against the Flu is especially important this year.

This is because the province’s health care sector is already dealing with the fourth wave of the pandemic, and it’s important residents do what they can to keep themselves and others out of the hospital with the Flu.

He says throughout the last ten days there have been more and more people calling and asking about when the Flu vaccine will be available.

“The Flu vaccine program usually starts around the middle of October and runs straight through the entire season, most people who annually get their Flu shot will try and get vaccinated beginning of October or November and into December,” he explained.

The Flu season generally lasts from mid to late October right into February and March and according to Leong, it tends to peak around January and February.

Additionally, Leong hopes to address a common misconception that he says is circulating about the vaccines.

“The Covid vaccine and the Flu vaccine are separate, a lot of the myths our there right now are ‘if I’ve had the Covid vaccine I don’t need the Flu vaccine’ which is not true. The Covid vaccine protects you from COVID-19 and the Flu vaccine protects you from the seasonal Flu,” he explained.

Finally, he reminds residents that the impact of vaccines can be measured throughout whole communities, as they protect more than just the single person that was inoculated.

“And just like the Covid vaccine, it not only protects you but it also protects the people around you, your close loved ones, it protects the people who are most vulnerable.”