Flu shots to become available in Ontario in October

FILE - A patient receives a vaccination shot. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

Ontario has announced that flu shots will be available in a few weeks for the most vulnerable people, including long-term care home residents, and at the end of October for the general public.

The Ministry of Health says it is safe and convenient to receive a COVID-19 shot and the flu shot at the same time, and shipments of the updated COVID vaccine should arrive in Ontario by early October.

That's around the same time flu shots are expected to become available for residents and staff in long-term care homes, hospitalized people and hospital staff, followed by people in retirement homes, other congregate settings and people 65 years and older.

The ministry says free flu shots for the general public will be available starting Oct. 28, 2024, at primary care offices, participating pharmacies and some public health units.

Respiratory syncytial virus vaccines should also become available in October, free of charge for eligible people, including infants, high-risk children up to 24 months old, and residents of long-term care homes and retirement homes.

Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kieran Moore says it is important to stay up to date on vaccinations, noting a recent rise in cases of whooping cough.