Influenza was virtually non-existent in New Brunswick last year amid COVID-19 but the flu is expected to be more prevalent this year.
Pharmacist Paul Bowman, who is the owner/operator of Bowman’s Pharmasave in Fredericton, says he and other pharmacies across the province will likely be busy this fall.
“We hoped that we would have been done and dusted with COVID vaccinations prior to the start of flu season, but it looks like there will be some overlap with some of the late adopters getting their COVID vaccine. So for the first few weeks of October, it looks like we’ll be doing both shots.”
With so many public health restrictions surrounding the pandemic in New Brunswick last year, influenza didn’t have much of a chance to spread but Bowman believes we will see an uptick in cases of the flu this year.
“With things being a little loose this year – although tightening over the last couple of weeks – where people are mingling more and getting out and about a bit more than they were at this time last year, we would expect there could be more cases of the respiratory illnesses this year compared to last year.”
The first doses of flu vaccine are expected to arrive in New Brunswick by Thanksgiving.
For the second year in a row, the provincial government is offering flu shots free of charge to all New Brunswickers.
