Flu season is coming up but you can protect yourself with a flu shot.  Carolyn McCusker who is a Registered Nurse and Immunization Coordinator explains the flu can lead to pneumonia, a serious infection of the lungs, dehydration and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as congestive heart failure, asthma or diabetes and can be life threatening.  She adds influenza can leave you bed ridden five to ten days and a full recovery can take up to six weeks.  McCusker advises you need to be vaccinated each year because the vaccine changes each year based on the four flu varieties chosen to be included in that year’s flu vaccine and these varieties or strains change because the types of flu being spread globally can change from year to year.

Flu clinics are beginning across Manitoba and Saskatchewan. For more information you can contact the Primary Health Care Center or the Creighton Health Office.