Albertans doubling up the vaccines: Rolling up for flu and COVID shots

It’s flu shot time in Alberta. But as clinics open Monday, some are rolling up their sleeves twice.

Sarah Peterson, one woman CityNews spoke with at a flu clinic explained she showed up for her COVID-19 Bivalent Booster and decided to get her flu shot at the same time.

“I work with a lot of people who could be immunocompromised, so I just want to keep myself and others as safe as possible,” she said. “I’m just glad I don’t have to come back in and do it all again!”

Alberta is coming off two ‘abnormal’ flu seasons, where we had low case numbers largely due to pandemic precautions.

However, AHS numbers show the province already has confirmed Influenza hospitalizations. Adding the young and elderly at higher risk of a severe outcome, as two – someone in their 60s and a child, officials will say is between 1 and 4 years old – are currently in ICU.

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“We are anticipating a flu season that looks a lot more like previous years. So what that means, is we will see several thousand cases, as well as the impact on our hospitals and ICUs,” said Dr. Kristin Klein, AHS medical officer of health and communicable disease control.

Those between six-months-old and five-years-old can only get their vaccines at an AHS clinic and are not recommended to get them at the same time as a COVID vaccine.

“For me, Influenza, Anna goes to daycare, so it means she will be protected this year. A lot of viruses over there. So I mean our household, even if we do get sick we won’t get as sick,” explained Dr. Grace Salvo, Medical officer of health and mother to a 16-month-old.

Dr. Kristin Klein says it’s too soon to tell if the option for a fall flu shot and COVID booster combo will be a yearly thing.

“People have a lot of fatigue, over the COVID vaccine, it’s been a hard two years. People are tired and frustrated and probably confused about what to get. We will see if that’s all we need until next fall, or we’ll see if the virus throws us another curveball,” she explained.

But reminds respiratory viruses are out there, and vaccine protection is free of charge in Alberta, as we enter the first full flu season with COVID in the mix without restrictions.