2002 Flu Campaign Begins

Health officials in Nova Scotia are preparing for a more typical flu season after two mild years of influenza.

"We're expecting a more severe flu season, and so once again we're reminding Nova Scotians that immunization is a simple, safe and effective way to save lives and prevent serious illness," said Dr. Robert Strang, medical officer of health.

The Department of Health is providing free vaccine for the following groups through family doctors and public-health clinics in the province: -- seniors over 65; -- adults and children with chronic heart and lung problems, and other chronic diseases; -- all health-care workers; and -- household contacts of seniors over 65 and adults and children with chronic illnesses.

A flu shot protects the health of older seniors and people with chronic illnesses. Both groups can get very sick if they catch the flu. Immunizing health-care workers also helps protect high- risk groups who, because of their age or health, may not receive as much protection from an annual flu shot. Household contacts are people who live with or are in close contact with any member of a high-risk group. They should be immunized for the same reason as health-care workers.

Nova Scotia's district health authorities are all launching internal campaigns encouraging their staff and volunteers to be immunized.

"If you choose to be a health-care worker, then you must accept the responsibility to help protect the people in your care," said Dr. Strang. "Health-care facilities have been doing a tremendous job during the past two years increasing the numbers of staff and volunteers who are immunized, and we're hoping the momentum continues so that we can further reduce the number of people who become seriously ill as a result of the flu."

A typical flu season in Nova Scotia runs from November to April, sending more than 20,000 people to their doctor. About 2,500 people are admitted to hospital during a normal flu season, and 400 people die as a result of complications from the virus.

This year's flu immunization campaign is a project of the Department of Health in co-operation with district health authorities, the Lung Association of Nova Scotia, the Medical Society of Nova Scotia, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Nova Scotia, the Nova Scotia Association of Health Organizations, Nova Scotia Nurses Union, the Pharmacy Association of Nova Scotia, the Senior Citizens Secretariat, the Canadian Diabetes Association, the Alzheimer's Society of Nova Scotia, the Continuing Care Association of Nova Scotia, Victoria Order of Nurses, the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union, Canadian Pensioners Concerned Nova Scotia, the infectious diseases division of the QEII Department of Medicine and the Canadian Cancer Society, Nova Scotia Division.

More information about the flu can be found on the Department of Health Web site, at www.gov.ns.ca/health/reports.htm#Influenza , and on the Canadian Coalition for Influenza Immunization Web site, at www.influenza.cpha.ca/ .