Flu
season is here much earlier than suspected, and it's knocking maybe
people in North America off their feet and into bed with tissues and a
snuggie.
With
sniffles and coughing in mind, New Brunswick pharmacists are
encouraging you to get your flu shot. It's not too late, and it's the
best method to keep the flu at bay, says Paul Blanchard, executive
director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association. He tells Tide
news it's important to get a flu shot every year, since the flu strain
is always changing.
A
big myth is that getting the vaccine could actually give you the flu,
which Blanchard says is simply not true. He says the vaccine is made
from dead cells of the influenza, which helps your body to develop an
immunity. Blanchard says the flu is causing overcrowding in Boston
emergency rooms, so the sooner you get it the better.
You can
get the vaccine from one of the 230 pharmacists in the province who are
trained to give injections. The cost is in the area of $20-$25, but it's
free if you're over 65, have a chronic illness (such as diabetes,
asthma, a suppressed immune system) and if you're under 18.
For more information, click here.