Flu season is here, and so is the annual invitation to roll up a sleeve. Island Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control recommend an influenza vaccine, at no cost, for everyone six months and older. It matters most for children six months to five years, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and anyone who is more likely to become very sick. A COVID-19 vaccine can often be booked at the same visit if you are due for one.
Notifications through the provincial Get Vaccinated system began October 5, and appointments started October 13, beginning with people at highest risk. If you are registered, you should receive a message when it is your turn to book, at a health-authority clinic or a community pharmacy. Help is available at 1-833-838-2323, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. People who cannot leave home can ask their community health office about a visit; the Island Health flu page has that advice.
For local public-health questions, the Comox Valley Health Unit is at 961 England Avenue in Courtenay, 250-331-8520. Island Health says the unit serves the valley from Black Creek to Fanny Bay, including Denman and Hornby islands, and lists publicly funded immunizations among its adult and child services. It also offers parenting support, kindergarten hearing screening, dental screening, and a youth clinic at Foundry on Thursdays from 1:30 to 4 p.m. The unit is not the only place to get a flu shot this season — pharmacies and booked Get Vaccinated clinics are doing much of that work — but it is the local public-health office if you need to ask where to go, or how to register.
Good to know
- Flu vaccine is free for everyone six months and older in B.C. Book through the Get Vaccinated system, or call 1-833-838-2323.
- Comox Valley Health Unit: 961 England Avenue, Courtenay, 250-331-8520.
- If you do not have a family doctor, you can also join the Health Connect Registry, linked from Island Health clinic pages.
Image: Screenshot of Island Health’s flu vaccine page.
Photo: Island Health, Screenshot of official source page, via source.
