With flu season upon the N.W.T., it's time to get vaccinated, says chief public health officer

The Northwest Territories is making another appeal to residents, especially as the flu season begins: Get vaccinated.

The territory's health and social services authoritysaidit's offering vaccination clinics in communities throughout the N.W.T. On top of the seasonal flu shot, people can get their COVID-19 boosters, and some can get a monkeypox vaccine.

One of the indicators of the upcoming flu seasons for countries in the Northern Hemisphere is looking down south, often at Australia's recent flu season, said chief public health officer Kami Kandola. This year, she said, the down-under country reported one of its worst flu seasons in five years.

"What's different this year is that their highest rate of infection, highest rate of hospitalization [were] in the pediatric population," Kandola said of the flu.

"The highest rate of infection was five-to nine-year-olds, and 55 per cent of their hospitalizations were 16 and under. And this is because they were largely unvaccinated."

When it comes to COVID-19 infections,Kandola said the data showed the vast majority of N.W.T. hospitalizations over the summer were in those aged 50 and older, which is why the territory limited the second spring booster dose to those who have severe risk for complications.

Kandola said in the last 30 days,the N.W.T. has only had three hospitalizations directly related to COVID-19, and those were in people aged 60 and older.

Kandola said the territory will be keeping an eye open for a "variant that escapes natural and vaccine-induced immunity," but so far there's been no sign of that.

There continues to be wastewater surveillance in Yellowknife, Fort Smith, Fort Simpson, Norman Wells and Behchoko, which includes a lookout for COVID and influenza.

She said COVID has been shown to be circulating at a "steady level" over the summer but there has not necessarily been an uptick in cases.

Clinics and eligibility

There will be a vaccine clinic in Yellowknife on Friday from noon to 3 p.m., with space reservedfor seniors'walk-ins for COVID-19 and flu shots.

For appointments or information on clinics throughout the territory, people can reach out to their local health centres. Yellowknife residents are encouraged to book online, with walk-ins "accepted as capacity allows."

COVID-19 booster doses are currently available territory-wide, and as of Friday,people over 50 years old and those between ages 12 and 49 with high-risk medical conditions can get a bivalent Omicron vaccine.

People aged 65 and over, residents of long-term care facilities and those who are immunocompromised between the ages of five and 64 have been eligible since Oct. 1.

People can get an influenza (or flu) vaccine alongside a COVID-19 booster shot. Resident can check the availability for vaccine clinics in their community on the territory's website.

The territory noted not all community dates have been finalized, and more clinics will be added as they are planned.

Meanwhile, the Imvamunevaccine for monkey pox, which was approved by Health Canada for adults 18 years and older, is available to those who fall under the eligibility criteria laid out by the N.W.T. government here.