Flu shots also given
Starting November 2, a new vaccination clinic will open in Saint-Eustache. The Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux (CISSS) des Laurentides is providing the population with an additional site where they can get vaccinated.
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The new site will be located at 450, boulevard Arthur-Sauvé in Saint-Eustache.
“It was crucial for us to offer local service to the Deux-Montagnes MRC population. It will also be possible to get the flu vaccination, with an appointment, at the same location. Simply ask our vaccination teams,” said Ms. Rosemonde Landry, President and Executive Director of the CISSS des Laurentides. A shuttle service is available on demand for people with restricted mobility or without the means to reach our vaccination sites.
There are multiple ways to get vaccinated in the Laurentians, with or without an appointment in one of our vaccination sites, by using the NotifVax app, or in one of our mobile vaccination units. For more details, visit santelaurentides.gouv.qc.ca.
The flu vaccine
It is highly recommended that people most at risk of developing complications get vaccinated each year in order to protect themselves. For these people, vaccination is the best protection against the flu and its complications. Vaccination allows the body to make antibodies to fight the flu. However, studies have shown that the number of antibodies may decrease in the year after vaccination. This decrease particularly affects older adults and people with a weakened immune system. In addition, viruses that cause flu constantly change. The composition of flu vaccines is reviewed annually in order to include the virus strains most likely to be in circulation during the flu season. The Flu vaccine is safe and cannot transmit flu or other illnesses. In fact, it contains part of the viruses or viruses that are killed or too weak to reproduce and cause the flu. In Canada and at the World Health Organization (WHO), there are several vaccination surveillances programs. These programs ensure, among other things, the quality of vaccines offered. Among these is the Québec surveillance program, ‘Effets secondaires possiblement reliés à l’immunisation’ (ESPRI). This program was established in 1990 by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. The flu vaccine does not make COVID-19 symptoms worse if you get infected.
Effectiveness of the flu vaccine
The flu vaccine generally takes 2 weeks before being fully effective. It does not offer 100% protection against the flu. The vaccine prevents the flu in about 40 to 60% of healthy people when the strains of viruses it contains correspond to strains circulating. The protection offered by the vaccine may vary from person to person, but it lasts at least 6 months. The vaccine protects only against the strains of the flu virus it contains. It does not protect against other respiratory infections such as the cold or COVID-19. For people aged 75 and over and those with chronic illnesses, the vaccine especially helps reduce the risks of complications from the flu, hospitalisation and death.
