Flu

• People aged 65 years and older
• People of any age who are residents of long-term care facilities
• Adults (including pregnant women) and children with the following chronic health conditions:
  • Cardiac or pulmonary disorders (e.g., bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis, asthma)
  • Diabetes and other metabolic diseases
  • Cancer; immunodeficiency (including human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] infection); immunosuppression due to underlying disease or therapy (e.g. severe rheumatoid arthritis requiring immunosuppressive therapies)
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Chronic liver disease, including hepatitis C
  • Anemia and hemoglobinopathy
  • Conditions that compromise the management of respiratory secretions and are associated with an increased risk of aspiration (e.g. cognitive dysfunction, spinal cord injury, seizure disorder, and neuromuscular disorders)
• Children and adolescents (6 months to 18 years) with conditions treated for long periods with acetylsalicylic acid
• Children and adults who are morbidly obese (adult BMI ≥ 40; child BMI assessed as ≥ 95th percentile adjusted for age and sex)
• Indigenous Peoples
• Healthy children (6 to 59 months)
• Pregnant people at any stage of pregnancy during the flu season (typically spanning Nov - Apr)
• Inmates of provincial correctional institutions
• People working with live poultry (immunization may reduce the potential for human-avian re-assortment of genes should such workers become co-infected with human and avian flu.)

• All health care workers (including all health authority staff, accredited physicians and residents, volunteers, students, contractors, and vendors) who come into contact with patients at health care facilities including long-term care facilities. This includes independent health care practitioners and their staff in community settings.
• Visitors to health care facilities and other patient care locations
• Household contacts (including children) of people at high risk whether or not those high-risk people have been immunized
• Those who provide care and/or service in potential outbreak settings housing high risk persons (e.g., crew on ships)
• Household contacts of healthy children 0 to 59 months of age
• Those providing regular child care to children 0 to 59 months of age, whether in or out of the home

• First responders: Police, fire fighters, ambulance
• Corrections workers

• Anyone else who wishes to reduce their risk of the flu.

Babies receive the vaccine as a series of 3 doses at 2, 4 and 12 months of age. Babies with certain health conditions should get an extra dose of vaccine at 6 months of age.

The vaccine is also recommended for:

• Adults 65 years of age and older
• Residents of extended or intermediate care facilities

People with any of the following:

• No spleen or a spleen that is not working properly
• Sickle-cell disease
• An immune system weakened by disease or medical treatment
• Chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C, including those who had it in the past
• Chronic kidney, heart or lung disease
• An islet cell or solid organ transplant, or a cochlear (inner ear) implant, or are waiting for one
• Had a stem cell transplant or chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy
• A chronic neurological condition that makes it hard to clear fluids from the mouth or throat
• Diabetes, cystic fibrosis or a chronic cerebrospinal fluid leak
• Experiencing homelessness or are underhoused
• Substance use disorders (alcohol, cocaine, injection drug use)

People who are not eligible for the free vaccine but want to be protected can purchase the vaccine at most pharmacies and travel clinics. It is important to keep a record of all immunizations received.