Got your flu shot?

When there is a good match between the influenza strains in the vaccine and the influenza strains circulating in the community, the vaccine can prevent influenza illness in about 70% to 90% of healthy children and adults.

Each year there is a new vaccine to protect against new strains of the influenza virus — that's why you need a flu shot every year. The best time to get your influenza vaccine is early, between October and December, before the number of influenza cases increases in Canada. Full protection against influenza takes about two weeks from the time you get the shot and lasts 6 months.

It is especially important that you get vaccinated if...

1. You are at high risk of influenza-related complications.

This applies to:

• people aged 65 and over;
• healthy children aged 6-23 months;
• pregnant women;
• people with certain chronic health conditions (such as heart or lung problems, diabetes, cancer, weakened immune systems, kidney disease, anemia);
• health care workers; and
• people who live in nursing homes or other chronic care facilities.

2. You could potentially transmit influenza to those in high risk groups because you live or work with them (e.g. household contacts, daycare workers), or because you provide essential community services and you are more likely to be in contact with those in the high risk groups.

Visit your Province’s or Territory’s page for additional information on flu immunization in your area.

Additional Information

• Influenza Immunization
  (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Myths and Facts about Influenza Vaccine
  (NWT Health and Social Services)
• How the Flu Shot makes its Way from the Laboratory to the Doctor's Office
  (Health Canada)