Should I get a flu shot this winter?

Yes. Public health recommendations are clear, everyone 6 months of age and older should be vaccinated against the flu. For some people, the benefits are so great that the government offers the vaccine free of charge. This is the case for children aged 6 to 23 months, people over 60 years of age, pregnant women (2nd and 3rd trimester) and people with lung disease, cancer, diabetes, kidney, liver or immune system damage and people who have difficulty swallowing or expelling secretions from their lungs. Note that the vaccine is also available free of charge to people in contact with loved ones who have one or more of the criteria listed above.

It is important to renew the vaccination annually, as the vaccine is effective for approximately 6 months. Despite this fact, some people may be tempted not to get vaccinated this year because of the lack of effectiveness of last year's vaccine. This observation should not change your intentions, however, because the composition of the vaccine and the strains of the virus found in the population differ from one year to the next. Since the vaccine is effective in about 60% of people when the strains in circulation are those found in the vaccine, it remains the best way to protect yourself against the flu, even if it is impossible to predict how the virus will evolve during the fall and winter. And don't wait until winter to get vaccinated, the service will be offered as early as November 1st and I recommend that you get vaccinated as early as possible, to protect yourself from the beginning of the flu season.

In addition, to make the flu vaccine more effective, several actions should be taken. These include staying home at the first sign of flu, wearing a mask if you cough, avoiding touching your face and washing your hands often.