Supporting Healthy Families and Communities

Flu Vaccine to be Made Available to All Residents of the Province

With the addition of another 13,000 doses of influenza vaccine now in the province, the Provincial Government is further expanding the public vaccination program to include all residents for the duration of the flu season. In addition to accessing the seasonal influenza vaccine through clinics coordinated by regional health authorities, residents will also be able to visit family physicians that normally provide vaccinations to avail of the free vaccine.

“Approximately 140,000 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians have already been vaccinated this year to protect themselves against the seasonal flu. We thank the public for their patience through the staged approach to ensuring the most susceptible people to the flu, including young children and pregnant women, had access to the vaccine. As the flu continues to circulate throughout the province, I encourage people to get the flu vaccine, in particular, those individuals with chronic health conditions. I also urge individuals to contact their local regional health authority on clinic times or family physician to see if they will be offering the vaccine through their offices.”
-The Honourable Susan Sullivan, Minister of Health and Community Services

Available vaccine includes an injectable form which is appropriate for all ages and the FluMist nasal spray which is recommended for generally healthy individuals between the ages of two and 59 years.

As of today, there have been 260 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza. The majority are influenza A and predominantly H1N1. There have been 51 hospitalizations, 15 admissions to intensive care, and three confirmed deaths. The most recent death was in a person in their seventies with an underlying illness. Of those individuals in hospital, 27 have already been discharged.

In comparison, during the same period last year there were 453 cases of influenza, 150 hospitalizations, 17 admissions to intensive care, and nine deaths.

Residents continue to be encouraged to remember to follow the simple rules for preventing and reducing the spread of influenza: clean and wash your hands, cover coughs and sneezes and contain your illness by staying home if you are sick.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is committed to supporting important social programs, strong communities and the health and well-being of children, families and seniors.

QUICK FACTS

• Another 13,000 doses of influenza vaccine have been acquired and are being distributed to all regions of the province, with additional vaccine secured.
• The influenza vaccine is available to all residents in the province who wish to receive a flu shot.
• Vaccines will continue to be available through the regional health authorities’ public health programs and additionally through some family physicians’ offices. Please contact the provincial HealthLine at 1-888-709-2929 or your regional health authority for clinic times and your family physician’s office to ensure they will be offering the vaccine.
• H1N1 has become a part of the normal seasonal flu viruses circulating over the last four years. If individuals have already had their seasonal influenza vaccine earlier this year, they have protection from three strains of flu, including H1N1, and do not need a second dose.

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Media contact:
Scott Barfoot
Director of Communications
Department of Health and Community Services
709-729-1377, 690-6290
scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca 

2014 01 24             4:20 p.m.