Hastings and Prince Edward Counties/Dec. 5, 2023
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is urging all residents to make sure they stay up to date on their influenza vaccinations. Flu vaccines are available from health care providers or at pharmacies and HPEPH clinics. The flu shot reduces the risk of severe illness, and helps protect the vulnerable, and our health care system.
HPEPH has received laboratory confirmation of the first case of Influenza A for the 2023-24 flu season, reinforcing the importance of getting up to date with the annual influenza shot. Influenza causes mild to severe illness and can lead to serious health complications, even in healthy children and adults. The influenza vaccine is available free of charge to anyone in Ontario over the age of six months.
“Getting an annual influenza vaccination and updated COVID-19 vaccine is the best and easiest way to protect yourself, your loved ones, the vulnerable, and our health care system this respiratory season,” says Dr. Ethan Toumishey, MOH and CEO at HPEPH. “Contact your local health care provider or a local pharmacy to get the flu shot as soon as possible, to help build your immunity before local rates of infection start to spike.”
How to protect yourself and others this season
With the knowledge that COVID-19, influenza, and other respiratory viruses are circulating in the community, residents are reminded to:
- Stay up to date with immunizations for flu, COVID-19 and RSV if eligible.
- Stay home when you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
- Consider wearing a mask in crowded indoor spaces, and when recovering from illness. If you are attending a busy gathering or interacting with others, wearing a mask will reduce your risk of unknowingly spreading an infection to those you love. If you are recovering from illness, it is especially important to wear a mask for 10 days after your symptoms started.
- Wash your hands often, clean high touch surfaces frequently, and cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue.
- Protect our health care services. Doing what you can to limit the spread of illness will help ensure our health care workers are available for those who need them most.
Visit our website for more information:
- Respiratory dashboard – hpePublicHealth.ca/respiratory-update
- Respiratory illness – hpePublicHealth/respiratory-illness
- Flu information and clinics – hpePublicHealth.ca/influenza-clinic
- COVID-19 vaccination – hpePublicHealth.ca/vaccine-booking
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Media contacts
Maureen Hyland, Communications Specialist
hyland.maureen@hpeph.ca
Jessica Klein, Communications Specialist
jklein@hpeph.ca
About Hastings Prince Edward Public Health
Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH) is a public health agency that serves the counties of Hastings and Prince Edward from four local offices. HPEPH is situated and provides services on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, Huron-Wendat and Haudenosaunee people. We monitor the health of our local population, deliver programs and services within our communities, and help develop healthy public policies. We provide information and support in many areas to help improve the health and well-being of our residents. Together with our communities, we help people become as healthy as they can be. For more information, please visit hpePublicHealth.ca. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
We invite community partners and residents to share this Media Release with their respective networks.
