What to know as free flu, COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out ahead of virus season

Ontario’s rollout of free flu and COVID-19 vaccines for the general population has begun. Here are the details on where to find them and what this year’s respiratory virus season might have in store.

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THE LATEST

As of Monday, both flu shots and the latest COVID-19 vaccine are available to all Ontarians six months and older. People can get the free shots from their family doctor, nurse practitioner or participating pharmacies.

“Getting yearly seasonal respiratory vaccines for COVID-19 and influenza, which are updated to respond to circulating strains, remains the most effective way to reduce severity of symptoms and to prevent serious illness,” acting Middlesex-London Health Unit medical officer of health Joanne Kearon said in a statement.

The health unit is not holding mass vaccination clinics like it has in the past, but has vaccination appointments available for children six months old to two years old.

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Vaccinations for long-term care and retirement home residents are being delivered on-site, the health unit said.

COVID AND FLU ACTIVITY

The Middlesex London Health Unit begins its annual flu case and outbreak surveillance in late August. So far, the health unit has reported a single lab-confirmed case of influenza.

Over the same time period, the health unit has reported 37 COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care and retirement homes and 11 COVID-19 deaths. There are nine active COVID-19 outbreaks, defined as when two or more institutional patient cases are linked, in London and Middlesex County.

WHAT DOES AUSTRALIA HAVE TO DO WITH FLU SEASON?

Each year, Canadian health officials watch virus patterns in Australia during its May through October flu season to get an indication of what Canadians might be in for.

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This year’s flu season down under appeared to be “fairly routine” and in line with what is typically expected, London Health Sciences Centre’s interim medical advisory committee chairperson Dr. David Steven said at a community update last week.

HOSPITALS AND FLU SEASON

LHSC is expecting to see admissions rise as respiratory virus season arrives in Ontario, Steven said. Patients over 65 years old and infants to four-year-olds are most at risk for severe complications from the flu that require hospitalization, he said.

During last year’s respiratory virus season, the number of inpatients at LHSC hospitalized for a respiratory illness – either flu, COVID or respiratory syncytial virus – ranged from about 40 to 80 daily, said Deborah Wiseman, the hospital’s corporate nursing executive.

As of the week that ended Oct. 19, there were 18 COVID patients in hospital in London and Middlesex County and none admitted with flu, the health unit’s respiratory surveillance dashboard said.

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