while covid-19 vaccination has become a global priority, vaccinations against other preventable illnesses, including influenza, have been overlooked by some. during the pandemic, influenza infection rates were low and there wasn’t much mention of the flu in the media, so it was easy to dismiss its seriousness. but as canada transitions to combating covid-19 as an endemic public health concern, experts urge canadians to remain diligent in immunizing against influenza.
“obviously covid has been an enormous burden to public health but it’s important to remind people that influenza is also an enormous burden, particularly for those individuals who are very young or very old or who are at high risk of complications of influenza,” says dr. mark loeb, an infectious disease physician and a professor in the department of pathology and molecular medicine at mcmaster university. “as such, it’s important that canadians keep up with their flu vaccines as the covid pandemic continues to evolve.”
there’s also the risk of misidentifying influenza and catching a dual infection. “while people may think they can recognize that they have covid or influenza, it’s not that simple,” says bertrand roy, ph.d., country head, medical affairs, canada at seqirus, a global leader in influenza protection. “the symptoms are similar, and there is a risk of dual infection of both covid and influenza – so it’s still essential to be protected against both.”