Why flu shots matter this season
Ontario has kicked off its flu vaccination program, prioritizing seniors, long‑term care residents, hospital staff and patients this week. The program expands to everyone aged six months and older on Oct. 27, with most other provinces and territories expected to begin mid‑October. Health officials say the vaccine is especially important for people who live with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), as well as young children and older adults, who are at higher risk for severe illness.
Dr. Netisha Gupta of the Lung Health Foundation emphasizes that while the flu vaccine reduces the chance of falling ill, its greatest benefit is making any infections that do occur milder and less likely to require hospitalization. “Two weeks after vaccination, your protection ramps up,” Gupta notes. “The vaccine trains the immune system to recognize the virus, so you respond quickly and avoid severe outcomes—like pneumonia and the need for hospital care.”
What recent Canadian research shows
Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, highlights that vaccination can cut the need for doctor visits or hospitalization by about half. He co‑led a study examining Canadians aged 16 and younger who were hospitalized or died from influenza from 2004 to 2022. The findings, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, show 80 deaths and 12,887 hospitalizations among youths over that period. More than half of those who died were under five years old, underscoring why vaccination is crucial for the youngest children.
“Young age is a risk factor for more severe influenza disease, partly because young children haven’t been exposed to as many infections and may have smaller airway sizes,” Papenburg explains. About three‑quarters of the children who died had an underlying chronic medical condition, and only about one in four patients in the study had been vaccinated. While death from influenza in children is rare, Papenburg stresses that it is potentially preventable and not just a benign cold-like illness that automatically resolves without consequence.
The study leveraged data from the IMPACT surveillance network, which draws from 12 Canadian pediatric hospitals, reinforcing the message that vaccination can translate into real‑world protection for vulnerable populations.
Balancing protection with practical steps
Officials remind families that vaccination is one important layer of protection in addition to everyday preventive measures. Even with a flu shot, staying home when ill, practicing good hand hygiene and avoiding close contact with people who are sick can help reduce the spread of influenza during peak season.
How to get vaccinated in Ontario
If you’re in Ontario, you can start receiving the flu shot this week if you’re a senior, long‑term care resident, hospital staff or patient. For everyone else aged six months and older, vaccination opens on Oct. 27. Pay attention to local public health announcements and check with your family doctor, local pharmacy or hospital-affiliated clinic for availability and scheduling. Vaccination timing matters: protection typically builds over about two weeks, so planning ahead is wise to maximize protection during peak flu activity.
Key takeaways for families
Influenza remains a preventable threat, particularly for young children and people with chronic lung conditions. The flu vaccine helps protect the most vulnerable and can substantially reduce the burden on families and health care systems alike. By getting vaccinated, you reduce your own risk of severe illness and help prevent hospitalizations—an outcome that researchers say is both common enough to matter and preventable with a simple shot.
