Flu season is close, and Alberta Health Services has started the flu vaccine campaign for Fort McMurray in order to provide area residents with some protection from this disease. The public can take advantage of flu vaccine shots which are offered free of charge, all you have to do is go to the Thickewood area Fort McMurray Community Health building. Local residents can also get the flu vaccine at grocery stores, pharmacies, and physician offices around the community, and also at MacDonald Island Park. According to Alberta Health Services the fl vaccine used last year was not a great match with the strain of flu that actually hit. Health officials of Canada still insist that the flu vaccine shot is a very safe and effective way to try and provide protection even if this vaccine does not have the effectiveness rate that some other vaccines do.

The flu vaccine offered by Alberta Health Services is also available in Fort McMurray at a discounted price for many. AHS medical officer of health Dr. Mayank Singal said “If you were to get a discount at a clothing store or a grocery store…you’d still take it. It’s still better than no discount, right? So some protection is still better than no protection. Like with any other product, you always have risk of a bad allergic reaction — but chances of that are in the order of one in a million. You’re actually much more likely to get…bad reactions with the influenza disease. The chance is actually much higher. So the vaccine is still preventative.”