From sniffles to sore throats, cold and flu season is taking a toll on Canadians, especially as cooler temperatures settle in. “This typically happens every single fall. And it peaks over the winter and then comes down over the spring in the summer,” says Dr. Catherine Brown, a medical health officer with Nova Scotia Health. Brown says as people transition back to school, work and daycare, cold symptoms can circulate. “It’s not uncommon for people to be having lots of colds right now, no doubt about that…runny nose, sore throat, cough,” Brown says. “Sometimes people get fatigued so they might have some aches and pains. And those tend to be mild, self-limited. People get better after a week or so. With influenza, you can see more severe symptoms. And so, people might have fevers, they might have really severe muscle aches.” Along with respiratory illnesses, Brown says there’s been an uptick in COVID-19 infections. “Right now, we’re in the thick of COVID-19. We know that COVID-19 is actively circulating in our province…it’s been increasing since late summer,” says Brown. “We know that in October, we were seeing about 100 cases of COVID-19 a week and just a handful of flu cases…we know it’s circulating right now. “The best way to prevent the COVID-19 and influenza is to get vaccinated.” Brown says Nova Scotia Health’s vaccine campaign, which launched on Oct.15, saw more than 50,000 Nova Scotians receive flu shots, and more than 40,000 receive COVID-19 vaccines. “We know there’s another 100,000 Nova Scotians who have appointments booked to get flu and COVID in the upcoming few weeks. So really exciting. There’s lots of appointments still available. We really encourage any Nova Scotians above the age of six months to book an appointment for a flu or a COVID shot if they haven’t already had that chance,” says Brown. Anne Marie Picone, the executive director of the Pharmacist Association of New Brunswick, says New Brunswick has favourable vaccination numbers. “We certainly saw a good uptake at the beginning. We know that there’s a lot of vaccine fatigue out there,” says Picone. “We certainly don’t want to go back to 2020. Nobody wants to go back there. And it’s very easy to forget after it’s been gone for a little bit…But you know, those viruses are still circulating and it’s important that we are vaccinated and protect our community.” Dr. Ron Milne, a Halifax-based family physician, says people can reduce their risk by washing their hands, avoiding touching their face and staying home when possible. He hopes more people will get flu and COVID-19 vaccinations. “The vaccines are safe and they’re quite effective. I would recommend to anybody who’s at risk, really for anyone, for flu season, to get vaccinated,” says Milne. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
