Seniors in Ottawa can get their seasonal vaccines. Here’s what you should know

We're paging Dr. Paul joins us to tell us what adults & seniors should be focusing on as we head into the fall season.

Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines are now available for high-risk and priority groups in Ottawa, and the Medical Officer of Health of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit is urging those who can, to get their seasonal shots.

Paul Roumeliotis, a.k.a Dr. Paul, joined CTV Your Morning Ottawa to explain why seniors and other high-risk groups should get vaccinated before flu season begins.

“Mostly, the seniors are the ones that are more susceptible to the side effects of these viruses,” Roumeliotis said during Wednesday’s Paging Dr. Paul segment.

As Roumeliotis explains, individuals who are most likely to have adverse side effects from the flu and COVID-19 are given advanced access to the vaccines so that they are protected ahead of flu season, which typically starts between November and January.

“That really entails individuals who are 65 years or over, anybody living in a long-term care or retirement home, and really, anybody working in a hospital setting or who’s in hospital themselves, hospital workers, and people with underlying medical conditions, because those are the people that succumb to the more severe complications or all these respiratory viruses that we talk about” he said.

Roumeliotis says the flu shot should be administered once per year and will help protect against the illness for six months, which will typically cover the duration of flu season.

Similarly, the COVID-19 vaccine will help protect individuals for six months, but Roumeliotis recommends high-risk individuals receive the shot twice per year.

“Because again, COVID-19, like the flu now changes now, it keeps changing. So, the vaccine now, reflects what’s circulating,” he said.

Both the COVID-19 and flu vaccine are available at doctor’s offices, public health units and pharmacies, says Roumeliotis.

Roumeliotis also suggests seniors and high-risk individuals get vaccinated against the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

“Last year, in Ontario, it was made available to individuals living in long-term care and retirement homes. This year, its available there as well,” he said.

“It lasts a couple of years, so you don’t have to get it every year, good news.”

Roumeliotis says the RSV vaccine is available at public health units and doctor’s offices, and free for anybody 75 years or older.

While only high-priority groups currently have access to the flu and COVID-19 vaccines, according to the Ontario Government, both vaccines will be available to the wider public starting October 27.

“The reason that we’re doing it in a trickling effect is that the vaccines come slowly, we don’t get everything shipped to us at once,” Roumeliotis said.

Roumeliotis recommends all individuals get their vaccines once they become widely available.

For more information about vaccine rollout dates in Ontario, visit: https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1006482/ontario-protecting-communities-from-respiratory-illnesses

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