Experts are encouraging annual COVID vaccines during influenza season.
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All right, it’s that time of year again when folks are encouraged to get their annual flu shot. And as well, we live in this age and time where the advice now includes a COVID vaccine. But who should get what and how often? And how important is it really? It may seem like a lot, but here to clear all that up is infectious disease expert and specialist Dr. Lisa Barrett. Dr. Barrett, we haven’t seen you as much as we used to in the studios, but maybe that’s a good thing. But but nice to see you back in here in person. Thanks for making some time for us tonight. Oh, happy to be here. Um, we’re heading into flu season. What are you seeing so far on that front or as it relates to any other uh viruses that we see around this time of year? Yeah. So, fall is the season when we see respiratory viruses and that’s the way we refer to it. So, that includes the one you mentioned, influenza. uh later in the fall, RSV or respiratory sensitial virus and of course who could forget COVID as well. So we have vaccines available for all of those. Uh what are we seeing in terms of cases out there? I know there’s not a lot of testing that goes on really anymore when it comes to CO and that. But with COVID and the flu, uh where are we in terms of numbers, I guess? Do we do we have a a sense of that? Yeah. Well, I think we just finished Thanksgiving dinner and if there wasn’t a soul around the table who had a little sniffle, uh, you were a rare table. So, we are starting to see that we’re heading into that season of the year. Kids are back in school. You start to see more respiratory viruses, sniffles and really serious disease in older people. Um, COVID cases going back up again. So, these days we have a couple of peaks of COVID. Uh, and we’re starting to see the cases go up a little bit. uh flu uh we’re just sort of at the beginning or pre that season as well as respiratory sensitial virus or RSV uh that usually comes a little later. So are we seeing anything yet? Yes, a little bit of co and that’s a good thing for us to be thinking about vaccines. Okay. And and here we are then discussing this today. It’s nice and timely. What are the recommendations as to when to get a flu shot and and who should get one and um when is too late say or is it too late now? Right. Not too late. So, we have lots of great science. There’s lots of science around these vaccines, flu, COVID, and of course RSV. And the answer is in short, the science is great that vaccines for COVID, flu, and RSV as well as pneumonia, we haven’t talked about that, um, are very safe. Is it time to start getting your your doses of fall vaccines? Absolutely. There are appointments available in Nova Scotia. differs who exactly uh goes first in different provinces, but in Nova Scotia, COVID and flu vaccine doses are starting to become available now. Really important. Um, as well as some of the RSV vaccine. So, is it too late? It is almost never too late, but get on it. Thanks for that point. When it comes to the vaccines for COVID and say flu, uh, is it equally as important to get both now or or who should be getting both? Yeah. So, Nova Scotia’s actually got really great guidance on the Nova Scotia Health website. Uh, you can get your vaccines from public health, from pharmacists, through mobile units, in all kinds of different places, including your primary care practice. So, lots of ways to get there, lots of ways to book. Um, it is really important if you have other medical conditions, if you are older and if you are very young or have a problem with your immune system that you make sure you get your doses this year. Um, for some much older folks, there’s a double dose special extra strength flu vaccine. And as well, there is also um a large group of people with problems with their immune system, older, etc. who really should people who live in long-term care settings, pregnant women, uh, who should also consider getting two doses throughout the year of COVID vaccine. We talked about the Thanksgiving table and, you know, your nephew with the running nose and your your uncle with that persistent cough, but when it comes to recognizing symptoms in this day and age, like, how do you tell what you’ve got as a cold or or the flu or say COVID or or both? And does it really matter what you have anymore either? How do you tell though? Yeah, you mentioned testing earlier and we do still have testing in Nova Scotia through Nova Scotia Health uh for people at high risk of severe disease with COVID and influenza as well as RSV. So, very young, very old, etc. So, there are ways of figuring that out. Does it matter? Well, if you’re in one of those high-risisk groups, sometimes it does matter because for some of those things, there may be treatment. And so for if you’re one of those people who are at high risk of bad disease with flu, RSB or COVID, uh do consider getting tested. There are options for you available. Um and some people still continue to do some home tests for COVID. And uh you know those are pay on your own for some folks, but do consider it does matter if you’re at high risk because treatment may be available. That said, when should someone maybe then see a doctor or or get tested at the same time? So, if you are uh having new symptoms, you’re somebody with, you know, trouble breathing on a good day, some heart disease, and you’re really not getting past this, you’ve got fever that’s not going away, and of course, anytime you have difficulty breathing, please do seek out either urgent or emergent medical care. Are we expecting to see any pressure put on the hospital systems kind of like we did uh back in the pandemic times? Are we better equipped for managing that uptick? There’s no hospital system in Canada that is not stretched even now still and so the best thing we can do to prevent that is to get vaccinated which is why we’re having this conversation today right and reminding people that they are safe want to talk about best practices then before we wrap up here I know time flies when we were having these conversations but yeah as we head into the you know flu and and and you know influenza season what’s the best practices people should uh be taking with them the dayto-day today things. Yeah, good respiratory hygiene. So, uh you mentioned the sleeve wipe. You can probably uh try and get rid of the sleeve wipe of the runny nose. Uh make sure you have tissues with you once you once used tissues. Uh make sure you get your vaccines. And if you are having symptoms and you’re going to be around somebody who’s vulnerable, not well, or has an immune system problem or other medical problems, please consider not going when you’ve just got that cold. uh might want to save them the risk of getting a bad disease. Um and the best thing we can do and the thing I tell my loved ones around me um is to get vaccinated. I I sound like I say that a lot, but it’s true, right? And it doesn’t just prevent you going to hospital or feeling crappy. Uh it actually can prevent especially in people with underlying medical problems from getting more heart attacks, bigger heart attacks, bigger kidney troubles. Vaccines can actually help prevent that. So have, you know, don’t go out when you’re sick. Bring tissues. Uh and uh sometimes it’s worth wearing a mask if you’re somebody who does have an immune system problem and you’re around someone that you can’t avoid who’s not well. Okay, great. All good advice. Thanks for this conversation, Dr. Barrett. I wish we had more time to continue it. Uh but I’m got someone in my ear saying wrap it up. So we will go for now. That’s Dr. Lisa Barrett in the studio with us tonight. Uh we really appreciate your time. Now, we’ll head to commercial break, but stay with us because there’s still a lot more news here. [Music]
