Dalla Lana School of Public Health

When and where to get your 2024 flu shot — and why it’s particularly important this year

October 23/2024

U of T experts on the flu vaccine, where to get it and why it matters

By Ishani Nath

None of Jeff Kwong’s patients have asked about the influenza vaccine yet this year — but the family physician and other public health experts want to make sure that getting vaccinated is on people’s radar.

Influenza is a respiratory disease that typically causes fever, cough and body aches. While many people recover from influenza within a week to 10 days, for some, an infection can cause severe illness. Every year, influenza causes an estimated 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths in Canada.

“It’s a good idea for everyone aged 6 months or older to get an influenza vaccine, but it’s especially important for adults aged 65 years or older, pregnant people and individuals who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk of complications from influenza infection,” says Kwong, the Associate Director of the Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases (CVPD), adding that medical conditions of concern include heart diseases, diabetes and even obesity.

The most common reason for Canadians to not get a flu shot is because they don’t think it’s necessary — a sentiment Natalie Crown, Associate Professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, has heard before.

“Sometimes people will tell me they don’t get vaccinated because they think they don’t need it — for example, they’ll say they are healthy and rarely get sick themselves,” says Crown, who is also a CVPD member. “The reality is getting the flu vaccine is one of most effective ways of protecting ourselves from the flu and its complications, and we are doing our part to protect the more vulnerable people around us who are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu.”

Why the influenza vaccine is especially important this year

This year, public health officials are also concerned about a strain of influenza circulating in wild birds and some agricultural animals. While the risk to the general population is still low, avian influenza A H5N1 has infected some humans who have close contact with sick animals.

“While current influenza vaccines don’t protect against avian influenza, they may reduce the risk of infection with human influenza viruses and therefore the possibility of both human and avian influenza viruses infecting someone at the same time. These co-infections could create a new ‘version’ of influenza that might spread easily among humans and cause very severe disease” says Kwong.

When to get the influenza vaccine

The flu season doesn’t have a precise start and end date. According to the National Advisory Committee on Immunizations (NACI), influenza season typically starts in December but can start as early as October or as late as February.

Influenza vaccines will be available first for high-risk individuals and then for the public beginning in late October and early November.

Since antibodies generated by influenza vaccines gradually decrease over time, Kwong takes a strategic approach to timing his influenza vaccine — but notes that may not be the best approach for everyone.

“I tend to wait until around mid-November to get my influenza vaccine, so I will be protected in December when influenza activity often starts, and I can be fairly confident that the vaccine will still offer some protection up to May,” says Kwong. “However, for those at high risk, getting the influenza vaccine in late October is not a bad idea because occasionally influenza activity can start earlier than December.”

Where to get the influenza vaccine

The University of Toronto community now has access to the newly opened Discovery Pharmacy, located in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy on the university’s St. George Campus. “Discovery Pharmacy is a dedicated community pharmacy that serves our local community,” says Crown. “They have a convenient online booking process and can help with all your vaccine and medication-related questions.”

For the broader public, influenza vaccines will be available at local community pharmacies, through primary care providers or at dedicated community clinics offered by public health units across the country.