Fall season is Flu season for Canadians

As the temperature keeps dropping comes the risk of the spread of flu.

Flu season in Canada typically starts in the fall util late December to early February. Since the weather begins to get chilly, people tend to stay indoors in one place hence spreading the virus to each other.

Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) urges people to not wait and start getting their flu shots that by this time until November. According from FluWatch reports, there were 3,657 hospitalizations and 223 confirmed deaths from flu in last year’s season. That big number of deaths made flu one of the 10 leading causes of death in Canada.

Getting a flu shot protects people from influenza A (H1N1), A (H3N2), and one or two influenza B viruses. Experts say, flu vaccines are 50-60% effective. Though it does not secure you 100% safe from the virus, it decreases the severity of the symptoms.

Often times people mistakenly treat common colds as flu and vice versa. The major difference of the two is the way it stays in the body. As it both enter the body through a person’s respiratory tract, cold stays in the nose and sinus, while flu enters deeply into the lungs. Another difference is that flu usually comes with a fever.

Flu shots are advised mostly to people who are in high risk of getting flu like young children, seniors, pregnant women, and people with long-term illness and weaker immune systems. Keep in mind to always consult with your family doctor.