'Tis the season. Free flu shot clinics are now open across Ontario, but don't expect the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit to hold one.
"We found that those other avenues were just more convenient for our residents here in Chatham-Kent, and that they didn't want to be standing in line with us, when they have the convenience of being right in a local grocery store or pharmacy, or making a quick appointment with their family doctor," says Brett Goudreau, a registered nurse in clinic services.
He says the health unit made the decision to discontinue its own clinics last year.
"While not providing community flu clinics, we will continue to provide all publicly-funded vaccines including flu shots at our regular community clinics here locally, but we are encouraging residents to seek out their providers," says Goudreau.
Goudreau says they'll distribute somewhere in the ballpark of 30,000 doses this year to doctor's offices, nurse practitioners, community health centres, pharmacies, and walk-in and workplace clinics.
But it's the pharmacies that are performing the best, he says, noting every community in Chatham-Kent has at least one that's offering the vaccination this year.
"The season access has never been greater. We have 24 participating pharmacies, as well as many local agencies," says Goudreau. "We're just doing our best to get the vaccine out to those facilities in a timely manner."
As for any reported cases of the flu this season? There are none so far.
-With files from Jake Kislinsky
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