CANORA – Approximately 150 residents from Canora and the surrounding area received their vaccinations on Oct. 14 at the first Flu/COVID clinic of the season held at Rainbow Hall.
Anyone who is looking for more vaccination-related information can find it through SHA (Saskatchewan Health Authority) or Health Canada.
The SHA website states that Moderna vaccines for COVID-19 are for infants six-plus months of age. Also available was the Pfizer COVID vaccine, for individuals 12-plus years of age.
Get immunized to protect yourself and those around you, continued the website information.
Stay home when you feel sick.
Clean your hands regularly.
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands if soap and water are unavailable.
Cover your mouth when coughing and your nose and mouth when sneezing to prevent direct contact with droplets from the nose or throat.
Clean and disinfect all surfaces regularly.
Immune competent children six months to four years old who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine get two doses given at least four weeks apart.
It is important to know that you and your child cannot get COVID-19 infection from the vaccine.
Individuals who had a recent COVID-19 infection may considering delaying immunization but can be immunized once they feel better. Consult a healthcare provider for current recommendations.
Individuals with a history of multisystem inflammatory syndrome should wait to be vaccinated until clinical recovery has been achieved, including return to baseline cardiac function; and it has been at least 90 days after this diagnosis.
Things to know about receiving the vaccine include:
• Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get COVID-19.
• Temporary reactions may include: Pain, warmth, redness and swelling at the injection site and/or limited movement of the immunized arm or leg.- Swollen and tender lymph nodes in the underarm (resolves in up to 7-10 days).- Headache, muscle aches, stiffness, joint pain, fever, chills, rash, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite.
According to information found at the Health Canada website, the flu vaccine is the best defence against the flu. The flu vaccine is recommended every year in the fall or winter, ideally before the flu season starts. Almost everyone who is at least six months of age should get a flu vaccine.
Influenza (flu) is caused by a virus that spreads easily by coughing, sneezing and direct contact with nose and throat secretions.
It can result in hospitalization and death, especially in very young children, the elderly and those who have underlying health conditions.
Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, cough, chills, muscle aches, headache, and a runny nose.
Infected people can spread the virus to others before they show any symptoms.
The vaccine is available to everyone six months of age and older.
Individuals 65 years of age and older are recommended to receive an enhanced influenza vaccine.
It is highly recommended for:
• Residents in long-term care facilities and personal care homes.
• Persons with a chronic health condition including but not limited to:- lung and/or heart diseases- asthma- diabetes mellitus – neurological conditions – cancer- kidney disease- severe obesity- children on long term aspirin therapy
• Pregnant individuals in all trimesters.
• Indigenous persons
• Individuals who are at increased risk for occupational exposure to avian influenza A viruses.
• Children from six months up to and including 59 months of age (under five years old). NOTE: Children younger than nine years of age need two doses four weeks apart if they have not had a dose of influenza vaccine in the past.
Groups recommended to get immunized to protect those at high-risk include:
• Healthcare workers, volunteers and visitors to healthcare facilities.
• Household and close contacts of persons who are at risk of getting seriously ill with influenza.
• Household and close contacts of babies younger than six months of age.
• Members of households expecting babies.
• Individuals providing regular childcare to children younger than five years old, either in or out of the home.
Those who should not get the vaccine include:
• Persons who have a serious acute illness, with or without a fever, should delay immunizations until they feel better.
• People who had a serious or life-threatening reaction to a previous dose of any influenza vaccine, or any components in the vaccine (excluding egg).
• Babies younger than six months old.
• People who developed a neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) within six weeks of a previous influenza immunization.
Protection (antibodies) develops within two weeks after immunization in most healthy individuals.
Effectiveness varies depending on the age, the immune response of the person immunized, and the match between the vaccine viral strains and the influenza viral strains circulating in the community.
Other Flu/COVID-19 vaccination clinics coming up in the local area include:
- Oct. 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Canora Rainbow Hall
- Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Preeceville Club 60
- Oct. 30, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Rama Golden Jet Senior Center
- Nov. 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Kamsack Ukrainian Hall
- Nov. 6, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Sturgis Read Club
- Nov. 7, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Norquay NICE Centre
- Nov. 25, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Invermay Community Hall
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