As the season continues to change in the NWT, the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority is taking this opportunity to encourage residents to make sure they are up to date on their flu shots.
It was announced in September that the NTHSSA would be setting up vaccination clinics in areas across the Territory. The rollout of these clinics is taking place largely at the end of October and throughout November.
To help discuss the importance of vaccinations, Dr Meaghan McLaren and Nurse Practitioner Janie Neudorf shared their insight on the matter. Dr. McLaren is a Family Physician and Clinical Lead for Public Health with the NTHSSA. Meanwhile, Nurse Neudorf is helping to coordinate the mass vaccination clinics in Yellowknife.
Nurse Neudorf shared the main reason why regular flu shots are as important as they are.
“Flu shots give us a leg up against Influenza. It helps us attain some resiliency against poor outcomes. So the more people that we get to have vaccines, the better outcomes that we see. We start seeing less impacts against people that would have poor outcomes like our really young and our elderly specifically.”
When discussing the vaccine clinics, Dr. McLaren reminds Northerners that COVID boosters are also available to those who want them.
“It’s important to get your COVID booster for two reasons. One is to boost your immunity, as immunity can wane over time. The second reason is that the COVID virus has genetic drift, which means that it changes over time. So the vaccines are developed for both flu and COVID to anticipate what viruses will be circulating this year, and to ensure that you’re protected against them.”
Dr. McLaren added that there are certain groups who would benefit from receiving vaccines much more than most people. She stated that those who are of the highest risk of contracting the flu include anyone who would have a high risk of health complications such as children between six months and five years old, anyone with a chronic health issue, pregnant people, those who live in chronic care facilities, and any adult over the age of sixty. When it comes to COVID, the people who would most benefit from vaccination are anyone over the age of sixty-five, people with pre-existing medical issues, pregnant people, and anyone who lives within an Indigenous or equity-deserving community. Healthcare workers can also make a big impact by getting themselves vaccinated due to their regular proximity to high risk individuals.
A full schedule of the clinics locations and operating dates can be found by clicking here.
