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Cara Nickerson - CBC News
Posted: October 20, 2023 Last Updated: 10 Hours Ago
While COVID transmission numbers in Hamilton's hospitals are stable, Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, the city's medical officer of health, says wastewater data shows the virus is on the rise once again in the city.
Richardson said as the communititygets deeper into flu season, proper hand washing, masking, vaccinations and staying home when sick are important.
"COVID vaccines continue to be very, very important in reducing transmission," she said at a press conference on Thursday.
The latest version of COVID-19 vaccine, targeting the XBB variant of the virus, is available to high-risk patients.That group includes people older than 65, people in congregate living settings such as long-term care, those who are pregnant, and individuals with underlying medical conditions that make infection more dangerous.
Richardson saidcases ofRespiratory syncytialvirus (RSV), which heavilyimpacts children, have been spiking across the province and in wastewater samples.
Dr. Brian McKenna, with Hamilton Family Health Team, said he has been seeing an increase in cold and flu cases.
"If we are in store for what we saw last November to February, we are in for a significant strain well beyond where we're at right now," he said.
He said people should contact their primary family doctor if they believe they are at risk, but noted that around 60,000 people in Hamilton do not have a family doctor.
At Thursday's pressconference, leaders from Hamilton's four major hospitals said capacity is already an issue, even without a large number of respiratory patients.
Hamilton General Hospital is at 107 per cent capacity, McMaster Children's Hospital is at 112 per cent capacity, JuravinskiHospital and Cancer Centre is at 118 per cent and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital is at 114 per cent capacity.
Sharon Piersonwith Hamilton Health Sciences said over the last two weeks, hospitals in the HHS network, including Hamilton General Hospital and JuravinskiCancer Centre, have "had to cancel elective and scheduled care."
This includes cardiac andoncology procedures and appointments.
Juravinski's emergency departmentwas built to care for 80 patients and currently has 100 patients admitted, she said.
"We try always to make sure that time-sensitive care can proceed," she said.
McMaster Children's Hospital built 12 additional beds in three of its departments last year, which the hospital's president, Dr. Bruce Squires, said has put the hospital in a better position to "absorb a highly active flu season."
But the capacity issue will take more than a dozen beds to fix capacity issues.
"In many ways, the system has been undersized for the populations we serve," said Squires.
St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton (SJHH) is also atfull capacity, said Dr. Cheryl Williams, vice president of clinical operations.
She said patients are being admitted with complex psychiatric cases, often related to substance abuse and mental illness.
When patients are in hospital for symptoms that could be treated in other settings, they are referred to as alternate level of care patients.
Pierson said HHS has around 270 patients with alternate level of care needs and 120 of those patients are living in hotel rooms, waiting for care.
"There are a significant number [of patients] waiting to go to long-term care homes, a number waiting to go to supportive housing within the community," she said, adding others are waiting for rehab or palliative care.
Cara Nickerson is a journalist with the CBC's Ontario local news stations, primarily CBC Hamilton. She previously worked with Hamilton Community News. Cara has a special interest in stories that focus on social issues and community.
Fermented garlic honey is a health remedy that happens to be delicious. Learn how to use it and store it just in time for cold and flu season.
Fermented garlic honey seems like the latest health craze on TikTok. This popular home remedy is believed to soothe respiratory illnesses like the flu or the common cold.
Fermented garlic honey is made from a combination of garlic cloves and raw honey. As the two ingredients marinate for about five days, they become fermented in the jar.
In addition to some possible health benefits, this type of garlic honey is a tasty treat. Try drizzling it over dinners like pizza and fried chicken or over sides like roasted Brussels sprouts and crusty bread.
Honey and garlic both have known health benefits of their own. It can be challenging to determine how these benefits change when the two ingredients are combined.
Honey is rich in antioxidants, compounds that are known to fight inflammation and lower the risk of chronic disease. Research has found that honey has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. This means that it can protect the body against infections caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi. Studies have found that honey may help to stop the flu virus from growing and spreading. It can also soothe a cough.
Fermented garlic honey requires raw honey, rather than pasteurized honey. That is because pasteurized honey will not cause the mixture to ferment. Raw honey contains more nutrients than pasteurized honey and has been found to lower blood pressure readings and cholesterol levels.
Garlic contains allicin, a compound that has antibacterial properties, protects from infection and can protect the brain from disease and improve memory and focus. Garlic may also lower the risk of heart disease by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
More research is needed to determine if fermented garlic honey has proven health benefits. A 2013 study found that the combination of garlic and honey may stop the growth of certain types of bacteria including Streptococcus pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella.
Wirestock/Getty Images
Fermented garlic honey must be stored properly in order to be safe to eat. Stored garlic can cause botulism, a serious type of foodborne illness. Fortunately, raw honey is acidic enough to kill the bacteria that cause botulism. Infants younger than 12 months should never consume honey because of the risk of botulism. Keep your sealed jar of fermented garlic honey in a cool, dry place.
As with any natural remedy, fermented garlic honey is not for everyone. Eating a large amount of garlic may interfere with your bloods ability to clot. People taking blood thinning medications like aspirin should use caution with garlic. Honey is high in sugar and may raise blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
When stored properly and consumed in moderation, fermented garlic honey is safe to eat. It has a savory, slightly sweet flavor. Its a great dip for bread or crackers. It can be drizzled over pizza, grilled pork, fried chicken and burgers. To satisfy your sweet tooth, try a bit of garlic honey with homemade vanilla ice cream.
Most types of honey can be safely stored and remain fresh for 12 months. To determine if your fermented garlic honey is still good, make sure it does not appear cloudy or crystallized. Smell it to make sure you dont notice a foul odor.
When making fermented garlic honey, its best to shake it every day to ensure that all of the garlic bulbs are covered with honey. Be sure to open the jar once a day to release any built-up gas during the fermentation process.
Theres a chill is in the air, and you all know what that means its time for cold and flu season, when it seems everyone you know is suddenly sneezing, sniffling or worse. Its almost as if those pesky cold and flu germs whirl in with the first blast of winter weather.Yet germs are present year-round just think back to your last summer cold. So why do people get more colds, flu and now Covid-19 when its chilly outside?Video above: The life cycle of the common cold explainedIn what they called a breakthrough, scientists uncovered the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.This is the first time that we have a biologic, molecular explanation regarding one factor of our innate immune response that appears to be limited by colder temperatures, said rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel, a professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. She was not involved in the new study.In fact, reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) kills nearly 50% of the billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses in the nostrils, according to the 2022 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because youve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature, said study author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.its important to remember that these are in vitro studies, meaning that although it is using human tissue in the lab to study this immune response, it is not a study being carried out inside someones actual nose, Patel said in an email. Often the findings of in vitro studies are confirmed in vivo, but not always.A hornets nestTo understand why this occurs, Bleier and his team and coauthor Mansoor Amiji, who chairs the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, went on a scientific detective hunt.A respiratory virus or bacteria invades the nose, the main point of entry into the body. Immediately, the front of the nose detects the germ, well before the back of the nose is aware of the intruder, the team discovered. At that point, cells lining the nose immediately begin creating billions of simple copies of themselves called extracellular vesicles, or EVs. EVs cant divide like cells can, but they are like little mini versions of cells specifically designed to go and kill these viruses, Bleier said. EVs act as decoys, so now when you inhale a virus, the virus sticks to these decoys instead of sticking to the cells.Those Mini Mes are then expelled by the cells into nasal mucus (yes, snot), where they stop invading germs before they can get to their destinations and multiply.This is one of, if not the only part of the immune system that leaves your body to go fight the bacteria and viruses before they actually get into your body, Bleier said. Once created and dispersed out into nasal secretions, the billions of EVs then start to swarm the marauding germs, Bleier said.Its like if you kick a hornets nest, what happens? You might see a few hornets flying around, but when you kick it, all of them all fly out of the nest to attack before that animal can get into the nest itself, he said. Thats the way the body mops up these inhaled viruses so they can never get into the cell in the first place. A big increase in immune powerWhen under attack, the nose increases production of extracellular vesicles by 160%, the study found. There were additional differences: EVs had many more receptors on their surface than original cells, thus boosting the virus-stopping ability of the billions of extracellular vesicles in the nose.Just imagine receptors as little arms that are sticking out, trying to grab on to the viral particles as you breathe them in, Bleier said. And we found each vesicle has up to 20 times more receptors on the surface, making them super sticky.Cells in the body also contain a viral killer called micro RNA, which attack invading germs. Yet EVs in the nose contained 13 times micro RNA sequences than normal cells, the study found.So the nose comes to battle armed with some extra superpowers. But what happens to those advantages when cold weather hits? To find out, Bleier and his team exposed four study participants to 15 minutes of 40-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures, and then measured conditions inside their nasal cavities. What we found is that when youre exposed to cold air, the temperature in your nose can drop by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. And thats enough to essentially knock out all three of those immune advantages that the nose has, Bleier said.In fact, that little bit of coldness in the tip of the nose was enough to take nearly 42% of the extracellular vesicles out of the fight, Bleier said.Similarly, you have almost half the amount of those killer micro RNAs inside each vesicle, and you can have up to a 70% drop in the number of receptors on each vesicle, making them much less sticky, he said.What does that do to your ability to fight off colds, flu and Covid-19? It cuts your immune systems ability to fight off respiratory infections by half, Bleier said. You dont have to wear a nose sockAs it turns out, the pandemic gave us exactly what we need to help fight off chilly air and keep our immunity high, Bleier said.Not only do masks protect you from the direct inhalation of viruses, but its also like wearing a sweater on your nose, he said.Patel agreed: The warmer you can keep the intranasal environment, the better this innate immune defense mechanism will be able to work. Maybe yet another reason to wear masks!Video below: Doctor on easing concerns about seasonal vaccinesIn the future, Bleier expects to see the development of topical nasal medications that build upon this scientific revelation. These new pharmaceuticals will essentially fool the nose into thinking it has just seen a virus, he said.By having that exposure, youll have all these extra hornets flying around in your mucous protecting you, he added.
Theres a chill is in the air, and you all know what that means its time for cold and flu season, when it seems everyone you know is suddenly sneezing, sniffling or worse. Its almost as if those pesky cold and flu germs whirl in with the first blast of winter weather.
Yet germs are present year-round just think back to your last summer cold. So why do people get more colds, flu and now Covid-19 when its chilly outside?
Video above: The life cycle of the common cold explained
In what they called a breakthrough, scientists uncovered the biological reason we get more respiratory illnesses in winter the cold air itself damages the immune response occurring in the nose.
This is the first time that we have a biologic, molecular explanation regarding one factor of our innate immune response that appears to be limited by colder temperatures, said rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel, a professor of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine in California. She was not involved in the new study.
In fact, reducing the temperature inside the nose by as little as 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) kills nearly 50% of the billions of helpful bacteria-fighting cells and viruses in the nostrils, according to the 2022 study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Cold air is associated with increased viral infection because youve essentially lost half of your immunity just by that small drop in temperature, said study author Dr. Benjamin Bleier, director of otolaryngology translational research at Massachusetts Eye and Ear and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
its important to remember that these are in vitro studies, meaning that although it is using human tissue in the lab to study this immune response, it is not a study being carried out inside someones actual nose, Patel said in an email. Often the findings of in vitro studies are confirmed in vivo, but not always.
To understand why this occurs, Bleier and his team and coauthor Mansoor Amiji, who chairs the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, went on a scientific detective hunt.
A respiratory virus or bacteria invades the nose, the main point of entry into the body. Immediately, the front of the nose detects the germ, well before the back of the nose is aware of the intruder, the team discovered.
At that point, cells lining the nose immediately begin creating billions of simple copies of themselves called extracellular vesicles, or EVs.
EVs cant divide like cells can, but they are like little mini versions of cells specifically designed to go and kill these viruses, Bleier said. EVs act as decoys, so now when you inhale a virus, the virus sticks to these decoys instead of sticking to the cells.
Those Mini Mes are then expelled by the cells into nasal mucus (yes, snot), where they stop invading germs before they can get to their destinations and multiply.
This is one of, if not the only part of the immune system that leaves your body to go fight the bacteria and viruses before they actually get into your body, Bleier said.
Once created and dispersed out into nasal secretions, the billions of EVs then start to swarm the marauding germs, Bleier said.
Its like if you kick a hornets nest, what happens? You might see a few hornets flying around, but when you kick it, all of them all fly out of the nest to attack before that animal can get into the nest itself, he said. Thats the way the body mops up these inhaled viruses so they can never get into the cell in the first place.
When under attack, the nose increases production of extracellular vesicles by 160%, the study found. There were additional differences: EVs had many more receptors on their surface than original cells, thus boosting the virus-stopping ability of the billions of extracellular vesicles in the nose.
Just imagine receptors as little arms that are sticking out, trying to grab on to the viral particles as you breathe them in, Bleier said. And we found each vesicle has up to 20 times more receptors on the surface, making them super sticky.
Cells in the body also contain a viral killer called micro RNA, which attack invading germs. Yet EVs in the nose contained 13 times micro RNA sequences than normal cells, the study found.
So the nose comes to battle armed with some extra superpowers. But what happens to those advantages when cold weather hits?
To find out, Bleier and his team exposed four study participants to 15 minutes of 40-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures, and then measured conditions inside their nasal cavities.
What we found is that when youre exposed to cold air, the temperature in your nose can drop by as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit. And thats enough to essentially knock out all three of those immune advantages that the nose has, Bleier said.
In fact, that little bit of coldness in the tip of the nose was enough to take nearly 42% of the extracellular vesicles out of the fight, Bleier said.
Similarly, you have almost half the amount of those killer micro RNAs inside each vesicle, and you can have up to a 70% drop in the number of receptors on each vesicle, making them much less sticky, he said.
What does that do to your ability to fight off colds, flu and Covid-19? It cuts your immune systems ability to fight off respiratory infections by half, Bleier said.
As it turns out, the pandemic gave us exactly what we need to help fight off chilly air and keep our immunity high, Bleier said.
Not only do masks protect you from the direct inhalation of viruses, but its also like wearing a sweater on your nose, he said.
Patel agreed: The warmer you can keep the intranasal environment, the better this innate immune defense mechanism will be able to work. Maybe yet another reason to wear masks!
Video below: Doctor on easing concerns about seasonal vaccines
In the future, Bleier expects to see the development of topical nasal medications that build upon this scientific revelation. These new pharmaceuticals will essentially fool the nose into thinking it has just seen a virus, he said.
By having that exposure, youll have all these extra hornets flying around in your mucous protecting you, he added.
Mary Lou Retton excelled against her competitors to win an Olympic gold medal in 1984 but now the 55-year-old American gymnastics icon faces a more challenging opponent.
On a fundraising page earlier this month, Rettons daughter, McKenna Kelley, wrote that her mother "has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life," adding that she had been in the ICU and was not able to breathe on her own.
Earlier this week, in the first update in four days, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, another daughter of Retton's, related that things seemed like they were headed "on the up and up" but then they took a turn for the worse on Tuesday.
MARY LOU RETTON'S DAUGHTER SAYS OLYMPIC-WINNING MOTHER FACED RECENT 'SCARY SETBACK' IN PNEUMONIA FIGHT
"We were so excited seeing so much progress," Schrepfer said in an Instagram post.
"And then yesterday, we had a pretty scary setback."
Mary Lou Retton, Olympic gold medalist in women's gymnastics, is currently in the ICU with life-threatening pneumonia. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
The details of the setback were not disclosed.
But Schrepfer said that Retton had a "better day" on Wednesday and that she was "just really, really exhausted," as she remains in the ICU.
Though the exact cause of Rettons pneumonia is not known, the condition can be life-threatening and many Americans battle it each year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)s website indicates that 1.4 million emergency department visits were due to pneumonia in 2021.
AFTER LOSING HER LEG TO THE FLU, VIRGINIA WOMAN URGES PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED: DONT WASTE TIME
"It leads to more than one million hospitalizations and more than 50,000 deaths per year," said Dr. Fred Davis, associate chair of emergency medicine at Northwell Health Long Island Jewish Medical Center on Long Island, New York.
"Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi, which leads to inflammation and a buildup of fluid, causing issues with oxygenation," Davis told Fox News Digital.
Some common warning signs of the illness include cough, fever and shortness of breath. (iStock)
Common causes of viral pneumonia in the U.S. include influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), according to the CDC.
Bacterial pneumonia is commonly caused by streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and, typically in kids, mycoplasma pneumoniae.
HAVE A COLD OR FLU? HERE'S HOW TO KNOW IF YOU CAN STILL WORK OUT: USE THE NECK CHECK
Some common warning signs of the illness include cough, fever and shortness of breath.
"When shortness of breath occurs or you notice discoloration around [the] fingers, toes or lips, it is important to seek emergent care," Davis warned.
Treatment for pneumonia depends on the cause, the doctor noted.
In cases of viral infections, he recommends supportive care like rest and fluids.
For bacterial cases, antibiotics are the most common course of treatment.
Fungal infections can be treated with antifungal medications.
Common causes of viral pneumonia in the U.S. include influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19), according to the CDC. (iStock)
In severe cases, the patient may be admitted for monitoring and given supplemental oxygen, Davis told Fox News Digital.
Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair and professor of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, New York, said that for most bacterial pneumonia, antibacterial therapy with antibiotics can be effective "but it's not always perfect and it doesn't always work."
Glatt added, "It often depends on how severe the underlying condition is with that person."
COVID-19, FLU AND RSV VACCINES ARE ALL AVAILABLE THIS FALL: SEE WHAT SOME DOCTORS RECOMMEND AND WHY
When it comes to viral pneumonia, the infectious disease expert said treatment can be more challenging.
"You don't have as many good agents," he said. "It will depend on which virus you're dealing with."
Regarding fungal pneumonia, Glatt said treatment will depend on what type of fungus is causing the pneumonia.
In severe cases, the patient may be admitted for monitoring and given supplemental oxygen, a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
"Often these patients are extremely sick and have a worse prognosis," he said.
In different parts of the country, there are different types of fungi that can contribute to pneumonia.
For example, histoplasmosis is common in the middle of the U.S., Glatt said.
SKELETONS FROM 1918 FLU PANDEMIC REVEAL CLUES ABOUT THOSE MOST LIKELY TO DIE, STUDY FINDS
Although anyone can get the infection, "those who are young, are older than 65 or have weakened immune systems are at greater risk of a bad outcome should they get pneumonia," Davis told Fox News Digital.
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The best way to avoid pneumonia is to reduce the risk of infection by following proper hand hygiene, covering your mouth when sneezing and washing your hands immediately afterward, he said.
American Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton holds up her gold medal at a press conference during the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles. While Retton excelled against her competitors to win Olympic gold in 1984 today the 55-year-old gymnastics icon faces a more challenging opponent. (Getty Images)
He also recommended getting the flu shot, as influenza is a common cause of infection and the vaccine can reduce the risk "especially in those younger than 2 years old and greater than 65 years old, who are more at risk should they get infected," Davis noted.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The CDC also recommended monitoring and treating any underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease, as well as speaking with a health care provider about vaccinations to help prevent pneumonia.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed reporting.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews/health.
Since arriving in South America, bird flu has travelled more than 6000km in three months and killed 500,000 seabirds and more than 20,000 sea lions in Peru and Chile alone.
The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research, in documenting that, has traced the spread of the virus highly pathogenic avian influenza along the Pacific coast of South America to its southernmost tip off Tierra del Fuego.
A paper published by SCAR Antarctic Wildlife Health Network warns the Antarctic Peninsula, the Scotia Arc (which includes South Georgia, the South Orkneys and Elephant Island), and the Falkland Islands are at high risk of the virus arriving this summer season.
SCAR, the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs, the Committee for Environment Protection, and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators are all concerned about this heightened risk of HPAI outbreaks in Antarctica in the 2023-24 season and the impact it could have on the regions wildlife though so far there have been no identified cases.
Dr Meagan Dewar, chair of AWHN, says: The arrival of HPAI in the region would have a devasting impact on many wildlife species in the region and could lead to catastrophic breeding failure and mortality events.
Penguin colonies are clearly of concern.
But recent risk assessment also warns skuas, gulls, fur seals and sea lions are at greatest risk of HPAI infection followed by penguins, sheathbills, giant petrels and birds of prey on the sub-Antarctic islands.
Expedition cruise companies sailing to Antarctica have brought in stricter precautions in a bid to stop passengers bringing in avian flu but there are concerns migrating birds from South America could bring in the disease.
Skuas, gulls, giant petrels and sheathbills are considered the most likely to fly the virus in.
The Antarctic cruise season runs from November-March. More than 60 ships are expected to cross the Drake Passage, backwards and forwards, visiting the Antarctic Peninsula during this next season.
The number of cruises to Antarctica has been fuelled by demand from eager travellers. And it has led to a fleet of modern expedition ships that are more comfortable in extreme conditions.
A spokesperson for IAATO says: Polar stakeholders, from Antarctic Treaty parties to scientists, researchers and IAATO tour operators, already have robust procedures in place to protect Antarctica from pathogens and non-native species, but due to the increase of avian influenza elsewhere in the world, we are all heightening our vigilance with regards to operations south.
In consultation with the SCAR Antarctic Wildlife Health Working Group, additional protocols have been introduced, which are mandatory for all IAATO operators.
A spokesperson for COMNAP says: Currently, we have no identified cases of HPAI in the Antarctic region. However, birds and mammals are presenting with HPAI in South America, South Africa and in the Arctic, so the risk is heightened that HPAI will make its way to Antarctica by way of natural migration of species during the 2023-24, or the 2024-25 Antarctic seasons.
We cant stop the natural migration of birds and so we cannot stop the virus from spreading to Antarctica. But, we can look for signs of HPAI in Antarctic species and report those signs, take extra precautions to prevent the intra-continental spread of the virus by human activity, and protect our human expeditioners from contracting the disease from infected birds and mammals.
Flu season is just around the corner, and now is the time to get protected. If you are a parent ofeligible pre-schoolers, make sure that you book your child in with their GP practice for the nasal spray that protects against flu.
The flu vaccine is also offered to most children including all aged 2 and 3 years old and school aged children from reception to year 11, as well as those with underlying health conditions. The childrens flu vaccine is usually given as a quick and painless spray up the nose. Children should get the flu vaccine as soon as they can for their protection and to help stop the virus spreading to others.
Flu can be an unpleasant illness in children, causing fever, extreme tiredness, aching muscles and joints, stuffy nose, dry cough, and sore throat. Most children recover within a week and are well enough to go back to nursery or school, but for some it can be life-threatening.
Children aged 6 months to 2 years with a long-term health condition that increases flu risk are eligible, including those ever admitted overnight for a lung infection, and those with conditions like diabetes. These children will be offered a flu vaccine injection instead of the nasal spray. This is because the nasal spray is not licensed for children aged under 2 years.
Primary and secondary school students can also get the nasal spray vaccine at school make sure you sign the consent form. A vaccination session will be held at schools during the autumn term and the immunisation team will contact you via the school. For 2- and 3-year-olds, you should receive an invitation for your child to have it at their GP surgery. Parents can also contact them directly to book an appointment.
Kate Keeling, Head of Immunisation at NHS Norfolk and Waveney said:
We are urging parents and carers to ensure their child is vaccinated ahead of winter. We know that vaccinations are the best form of protection at winter. The child flu vaccine reduces your childs chance of needing hospital care for flu by around two-thirds.
The child flu vaccine is usually given as a quick and painless spray up the nose and helps protect them from flu and prevent it spreading among vulnerable family and friends.
If your child is aged 2 or 3 years old or are aged 6 months to 2 years with certain health conditions, you can book a flu vaccination at their GP practice. This is a reminder to please book your childs flu vaccine as soon as the vaccine becomes available.
Here are five reasons your under-5s should have the flu vaccine:
Children under 5 have the highest hospitalisation rate due to flu 6,000 in England last winter. Vaccination cuts the hospitalisation risk by around two-thirds. It helps protect against complications like pneumonia and painful ear infections.
2. Protect family and friends
Pre-schoolers are excellent at spreading germs! Vaccinating your child helps reduce the chance of others in your family who are higher risk, like grandparents or those with long-term conditions, getting flu.
The nasal spray is painless and easy to have. It contains weakened flu viruses to help your child build immunity and fight off flu. The vaccine is absorbed into the nose quickly, so even if your child sneezes right after, it still works. For children who cant have the nasal spray for medical reasons,an injection is available
4. Its better than having flu
The nasal spray helps protect against flu, has been given to millions of children in the UK and worldwide, andhas an excellent safety record. In the last few years, the protection that children get from vaccination has been consistently higher than for adults. The vaccine is updated yearly to match flu strains, so we recommend vaccinating yearly, even if vaccinated last year.
5. Avoid costs and time off work
Juggling a sick child and work is tough. Vaccinating isnt just about your childs health, its smart for parents. If your child gets flu, you may have to take time off or find childcare. The nasal spray vaccine means fewer missed workdays and is free on the NHS.
Get your family winter strong by booking in eligible under-5s with your GP practice or making sure you sign a consent form if one is sent home from school.
COVID-19 vaccinations are also taking place and there are some local sites who are offering slots this weekend:
Local vaccinations taking place:
Wellness Hub, Castle Quarter, Norwich: Saturday 21 October and selected dates from 23 October
James Paget Hospital, Great Yarmouth: This weekendSaturday 21 and Sunday 22 October
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn: 23 October all week
These sites are all available to book via National Booking System or calling 119.
You can find out the latest information about both vaccines and how to book by visiting www.nhs.uk/seasonalvaccinations. Protect yourself this winter. Get your flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. Get winter strong.
POCATELLO Less than half of all Idahoans receive the influenza vaccine every year, which is lower than the national average.
Public health officials want those numbers to rise, and are speaking out about the importance of getting the vaccine to decrease peoples chance of catching the virus or being hospitalized over it.
When people get their flu shot there are better health outcomes and healthier communities, said Allison Bischoff, Clinical Services Director for Southeastern Idaho Public Health.
Nikki Sayer, Head Nurse of Immunizations at Eastern Idaho Public Health, echoed this sentiment, saying vaccines are about more than just protecting the person who receives it.
Its important not only to protect yourself against the flu, but its also important to protect your family and your community against circulating viruses, Sayer said.
The last flu season (2022-2023) had the lowest percentage of people receiving vaccines in the last decade, with only 36.9% of Idahos population covered. In Idaho, the average percentage of the population receiving vaccines over the last 10 years is 40.9%. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the nationwide percentage over 18 years old that received a flu vaccine in the 2021-2022 season was 49.4%.
Locally, the numbers are a bit higher than statewide but not by much. According to data from the Department of Health and Welfare, only 39% of people received their flu vaccination within Southeastern Idaho Public Healths boundaries in 2021, which is the most current year data was available. Eastern Idaho Public Health had 38.1 percent of its population receive a flu vaccine.
The percentage of the population receiving vaccines has declined in the last two years, which both Bischoff and Sayer attribute to a number of factors, including vaccine fatigue. While the 2020-2021 flu season had a 10-year high of 46% of people receiving the vaccine, the following year dropped to 42.3%.
Theyve been hearing about vaccines, Sayer said. You know, go get your COVID vaccine, and people are just tired of hearing the message.
Another contributing factor has been vaccine misinformation, which has increased in recent years.
Weve had lots of misinformation about vaccines being shared and then that got really heightened during COVID, Bischoff said. It really just leads to distrust in vaccines and their effectiveness.
Sayer said the reason why some people feel like theyve caught the flu after receiving a vaccine is because its immunizing the receiver from multiple viral strains that are expected to be the most common in that season.
Some side effects of the vaccine includes some flu like symptoms, but they are not going to put you in the hospital, like influenza itself, Sayer said.
People who have chronic health conditions are more likely to have their condition worsen and be hospitalized for influenza. When they and the people around them receive their flu vaccine, the chances of that happening are greatly reduced.
Some people die of influenza every year. Between 2011 and 2023 in Idaho, deaths have ranged from one to eight people per year. There were eight deaths in the 2018-2019 season and in the 2022-2023 season.
Sayer said the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine was a testament to the effectiveness of vaccines.
There wasnt any immunity against the COVID virus and we saw many deaths and hospitalizations and sicknesses at the beginning and then the vaccine rolled out and things dramatically decreased, Sayer said. So thats one testament to vaccines and how it works.
For people who want to get their flu shot, theres a number of options they can utilize. Vaccines.gov shows where people can find pharmacies that offer the vaccine. SIPH partnered with the Idaho Immunization Program to offer vaccines at a lower cost for people who are uninsured or underinsured. EIPH is offering a drive through vaccine clinic on Oct. 19.
If youve had a flu vaccine, chances are youre no stranger to the sore arm that can linger a day or two after the shot its among the most common side effects. The reason for the soreness, doctors say, has less to do with the needle and more to do with the vaccine inside the syringe.
Its activating your immune system, says Kisha Davis, M.D., a family physician in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and a member of the board of directors of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Just like when you stub your toe and the blood rushes to that area, the same happens when you get a vaccine. Your arm is kind of calling in the resources to react to what has just happened, Davis says.
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For some people, the soreness is hardly noticeable. For others, it can be more pronounced. Everyone can have different responses, says Scott Selinger, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, at the University of Texas at Austin. And while its no doubt a nuisance at the time, there is a silver lining to the side effect: Its telling us that your body recognized that vaccine; its mounting a response and its going to give you that protection later on, Davis says.
And more good news: There are a few things you can do before, during and after the flu shot or any vaccine for that matter to help ease the ache. Heres what the experts recommend.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) reminds residents that flu vaccine plays a key role in staying healthy this fall and winter when flu and other respiratory viruses will be circulating at the same time.
Flu is here, and weve seen a handful of cases in Lincoln and Lancaster County, said Pat Lopez, health director. Now is a good time to get your flu vaccine so your body can build protection before flu season really ramps up.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend flu vaccine for everyone age 6 months and older every year. It is especially important for those at greater risk for serious complications to receive flu vaccine. They include:
Adults with certain chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes and chronic kidney disease;
Children younger than age 5, but especially those younger than 2 years old.
Vaccination is the best way to protect against flu. Flu is a highly contagious disease of the lungs that can cause mild to severe illness and can lead to hospitalization and death. Vaccination can reduce flu-related illnesses, visits to the doctor, missed work and school, and flu-related hospitalizations.
Flu vaccine is widely available in the community. Residents are encouraged to contact a health care provider or find a flu vaccine location at vaccines.gov.
LLCHD provides flu vaccine to uninsured and underinsured adults. Children between ages 6 months through 18 years are also eligible and must meet one or more of these criteria:
Have Medicaid coverage;
American Indian and/or Alaskan Native; or
For more information, call 402-441-8065 or visit health.lincoln.ne.gov and select Vaccine Clinic under Community Health Services.
Updated COVID-19 vaccine is also recommended for everyone age 6 months and older. Flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine can be given at the same time.
For more information about seasonal flu, visit cdc.gov/flu.
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Dr. Leisha Andersen, pediatrician and content specialist for Bright by Text, answers five questions about flu vaccine and children.
1 Is the flu preventable?
Getting a flu vaccine every year is the best way to protect your child (and yourself) from the flu. Anyone 6 months of age or older is eligible to receive the flu vaccine. If your baby is under 6 months of age, its important that all other family members are vaccinated against the flu to prevent household members from spreading influenza illness to your baby. Two types of flu vaccine are available this year--a shot and a nasal spray (sometimes called the mist).Talk to your childs doctor to decide which type of flu vaccine will be best for your child. You can also limit the spread of the flu by reducing your contact with people who are sick with flu symptoms. Handwashing, covering of coughs and sneezes, wearing a mask, and staying home when youre sick can all help to prevent spreading the flu.
2 Is there a best time to get a flu vaccine?
It takes about two weeks for your body to develop protective antibodies after youre vaccinated against the flu. Therefore, its important to vaccinate as soon as possible to avoid getting (and spreading) influenza. Ideally, your family will get their flu vaccines by the end of October.
3 Can you get the flu from the influenza shot?
Flu vaccines do not cause flu sickness. After a flu vaccine, some people have mild symptoms that go away quickly. If you get the flu, you may be sick for as long as 2 weeks. Flu illness can also lead to complications including asthma attacks, pneumonia, hospitalizations, and rarely death.
4 How can you find free or low cost flu vaccines for your family?
Your childs doctors office will be a good place to get flu vaccines this year. You can also find vaccine opportunities in your community using this Vaccine Finder. To learn about qualifying for low-cost health coverage (which will include coverage of vaccines), check out InsureKidsNow.gov or call (877) KIDS-NOW ((877) 543-7669).
5 How are flu and coronavirus different?
The flu and the coronavirus also have important differences:
a vaccine is currently available for influenza
the loss of taste or smell is more likely with coronavirus
symptoms spread with different timing: Influenza symptoms typically show up 1-4 days after youre exposed to a person sick with the flu, coronavirus symptoms can show up 2-14 days after youre around someone sick with COVID-19.
Ronn Rowland
