Flu season lands in the Yukon
More than a dozen cases of influenza have already been confirmed in the territory
Good-bye election season, hello flu season.
The Yukon Government says more than a dozen cases of influenza have already been confirmed in the territory.
Yukon Immunization, a government website, says the first cases of the season are normally reported in late December or January.
The territory kicked off its flu vaccine program today, with clinics starting in some Yukon communities. In Whitehorse, clinics for people at high risk, including those over 65 or pregnant, start Oct. 31, and public clinics start Nov. 2.
The Yukon Government says immunization is the best way to prevent influenza, a viral infection that kills between 2,000 and 8,000 people in Canada every year.
Shots for all
The Yukon Government says it received a full shipment of the injectable vaccine, however a global shortage of the nasal spray means that option will not be available this year.
"There was just a supply issue with the active ingredient in the flu mist. It's only made by the one company," explained Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon's chief medical officer of health, in an interview earlier this month.
"We are in the same boat as the rest of the country. So that's kind of a drag for kids."
In previous years, the spray was an option for those aged 2 to 17.
Hanley says health professionals have a lot of strategies for helping assuage the fears of kids who don't like needles.