Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a New Brunswick pharmacist says there’s definitely a heightened awareness surrounding the influenza vaccine for the upcoming season.
Paul Bowman says more people have been asking him about the flu vaccine which likely won’t arrive until sometime in October.
“If cold and flu come – like every year – the flu vaccine is, while it’s not 100 percent, our best defence to try and stave it off.”
Bowman believes it will be a challenging season since influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory diseases which are spread in similar ways with similar symptoms.
As announced in the 2020-21 budget, the provincial government will now be providing free flu shots for all New Brunswick residents.
The province recently announced a higher flu vaccine dosage will be available free for seniors in long-term care homes but others will have to pay out-of-pocket.
For those who don’t have any private insurance coverage and want the higher dose, Bowman says the cost would be about $85.
