By Brittney Matejka

Flu season is beginning in Alberta, AHS predicts this years strain to be particularly tough.

Oct 20, 2017 | 6:04 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB. – Flu shots will begin being given out across the province beginning on Monday, October 23rd.

Alberta Health Services is offering the flu shot free of charge to all Albertans age six months and older in hopes of limiting the spread of this years flu strain.

Judy MacDonald, Medical Officer of Health from AHS Calgary said the province is particularly concerned about the sporadic cases of influenza AH3, which is similar or the same as the tough flu strain that hit Australia particularly hard.

“We know that H3 strains can cause more serious illness more people getting ill, more people potentially dying. It tended to affect the extremes of age, the very young and the elderly people more than the middle age individuals,” she said.

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Dr. Ruzycki, Carry Drive Medical Clinic said he is already urging his patients in Medicine Hat to get the flu shot as soon as they can to protect themselves and others.

“It’s a good way to prevent problems, we have a lot of people each year who end up in the hospital, some in the intensive care unit on ventilators because they don’t get their flu shot and we have some people who die every year. Usually it’s an older frail person like your grandmother in a nursing home but some time it’s a young pregnant mom and often a very big tragedy that can be prevented with a simple flu shot,” he explained.

Flu shots will be available at drop in clinics at the Medicine Hat Stampede Grounds on the following dates:

Cyrpress Centre

Adult Resource Fair October 24, 2017 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Flu Lapalooza October 25, 2017 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Higdon Hall

October 26, 2017 1:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

November 1, 2017 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

November 4, 2017 9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M.

November 28, 2017 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

December 20, 2017 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

January 15, 2017 2:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Pharmacist Rob Hozack, Redcliff Pharmasave said local pharmacy’s will also be able to provide the vaccine to patients through injection but not through the nasal spray that was used in years past.

“The nasal spray is not provided by the province this year, I believe there is some  question into how effective it was. For those where a flu shot is not an option or you just can’t tolerate the needle can still buy those at your own cost from some pharmacy’s,” he explained.

Children under the age of 9 are able to receive the flu shot, however they will have to get the vaccine at a local health unit.