Richard McGuire, reporter/photographer with the Osoyoos Times, gets his annual flu shot from Steven Hopp, owner and pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart. Both McGuire and Hopp get the flu vaccination every year. (Keith Lacey file photo)

Both Osoyoos pharmacies once again have public influenza vaccine in stock after a brief period without last week when demand exceeded local supply.

The influenza season typically peaks in December, said Rakel Kling, medical health officer with Interior Health.

“It’s going to start to increase around now and it will start to peak around the holiday season,” she said, adding that the flu season can run any time between October and April.

“We advise people to get the flu vaccine as early as possible,” said Kling. “It takes about two weeks for the vaccine to be fully effective, so in order to be fully protected before the peak of the season, we advise that you have it sometime in October or November.”

It is, however, available throughout the flu season, normally up to March, she added.

Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmasave have been providing influenza vaccinations since mid-October.

Kling said there is no shortage of the vaccine.

“Vaccine is continuously being counted in the public health unit and being redistributed appropriately,” Kling said last Thursday when both local pharmacies lacked supply. “That is going to be available to them as soon as possible.”

By Friday, both Shoppers and Pharmasave had vaccine again.

Unlike other provinces that provide universal influenza vaccinations, B.C. only provides free vaccines to those from certain high-risk populations such as seniors, young children, Aboriginal people and those with certain medical conditions.

Others such as medical personnel, caregivers and first responders are also eligible.

Those who are not eligible for the free vaccine can purchase it. The vaccine for purchase is from a separate supply and was still available last week when public supplies ran out.

A seasonal flu clinic was held in November at the Osoyoos Seniors Centre, but no more are planned.

There is, however, one more clinic for families with young children by appointment on Thursday, Nov. 30 from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Osoyoos Health Centre. To make an appointment, call 250-495-6433.

The vaccine is also available through local doctors.

Steven Hopp, owner and pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart Osoyoos, said the store was only without the vaccine for a couple days last week.

“The supply this year for us has been better than previous years,” he said. “We’ve only had a couple brief periods where we didn’t have supply.”

Hopp said this was the second year in which Interior Health has run a pilot project to provide initial supplies through the Shoppers Drug Mart distribution centre.

“It’s a huge retail company in the business of supply and logistics, so we tend to be good at that sort of thing,” said Hopp. “Because of that, there’s been fewer supply outages or shortages than the traditional way of allocating flu vaccine.”

Supplies through Shoppers’ distribution channel, however, are now finished and for the remainder of the flu season, the store will receive its supplies through Interior Health, as do other pharmacies.

Jolly Gill, pharmacist and owner with Osoyoos Pharmasave, said last week was the first time this year that her store has run out. By Friday, she also had supply again.

Pharmasave does vaccinations both on a drop-in and appointment basis.

“Sometimes people like to know when their appointment is and they don’t want to wait around,” said Gill. “For the people that drop in, we might say there are these people in front of you and you can wait behind them. So we do both.”

Hopp says Shoppers Drug Mart does drop-ins and there is always a vaccination-certified pharmacist available, although sometimes, such as weekends, they are quite busy.

Both Hopp and Gill strongly recommend that people get vaccinated each year.

“There’s a lot of misconception out there, but people should be confident in the safety of the flu vaccine,” said Hopp. “I get mine every year and I wouldn’t if I had concerns about it. As pharmacists, we look at and evaluate the clinical evidence.”

Gill also recommends it and says her store recommends people get other available immunizations, such as one for pneumonia, as well.

“You’re getting the vaccine to protect not only yourself, but the people around you,” Gill said. “This vaccine is important to have done annually.”

Hopp notes that the vaccine varies in effectiveness in different years depending on how well the manufacturers anticipate the flu strains that will be going around.

“But there’s still going to be some benefit no matter what, so we encourage people to get it,” he said.

Kling of Interior Health said it’s still too early to say how effective this year’s vaccine is for the flu strains circulating.

“There’s just too few people with influenza right now to make any judgment,” she said. “The vaccine’s effectiveness doesn’t come out until much later.”

This year’s shot offers protection against two influenza A viruses (an H1N1 and an H3N2) and one influenza B virus. For those under 18, the preferred vaccine also protects against an additional B influenza virus, Interior Health says.

For further information about the vaccine and eligibility for free shots, visit: http://www.immunizebc.ca/diseases-vaccinations/influenza.

RICHARD McGUIRE

Osoyoos Times