Influenza

So far, flu severity appears low overall in Australia, but it is still early days

NACI recommends offering influenza vaccine annually to anyone six months of age or older who does not have a contraindication to the vaccine. 

Pharmacist Anjli Acharya and family physician Dr. Peter Lin review why influenza may rebound significantly in the 2022-23 season, how risk increases with age, the differences among influenza vaccines for adults and why one size does not fit all.

Giving both vaccines at the same visit increases the rate of systemic adverse effects by 8% to 11% compared to giving an mRNA COVID-19 booster alone.

Include guidance on Supemtek, Canada’s first recombinant influenza vaccine, and Flucelvax Quad, Canada’s first cell-based influenza vaccine.

Canadian experts warn that a seasonal influenza epidemic could arise in Canada in the coming weeks.

Common side effects of zoster vaccine may be mistakenly attributed to the influenza vaccine.