Now that we are knee deep into the fall season, we are getting a reminder that it is time for flu and COVID shots.

Sarah Boudreau, owner and manager of MacKeigan’s Pharmacy in Nova Scotia tells our newsroom that it’s very important to protect yourself and others around you by preventing people from getting these diseases.

“We look at the strains that are circulating and then develop our vaccines to protect against those. So, that’s why it’s important to get it every year, so that you’re protected against what currently circulating,” she says.

Flu symptoms are fever, headaches, fatigue, runny nose or sore throat, so getting the shot helps minimize the infection you might get.

“It also helps prevent you from landing in the hospital or dying. The flu, COVID, and pneumonia are in the top 10 causes of death in Canada, so this helps prevent death,” she shares.

Boudreau tells us the flu spikes later in the fall into the winter months and goes away mostly in the summertime.

“COVID’s around all the time. 12 months of the year. So, it hasn’t gone away. It’s still circulating, and it’s still important to get protected against it,” she explains.

She recommends vaccinations for everyone six months and up, especially people who are 65 and older or immunocompromised.

Other important immunizations she mentions include Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), shingles, tetanus and pneumonia.

RSV is another respiratory virus that circulates and really impacts the elderly and young children and the government is publicly funding the RSV vaccine for people 75 years and older, according to Boudreau.

You can book your vaccines at a pharmacy, some doctor offices or mobile units.