Ontario doctors advise vaccine catch-up ahead of fall flu, COVID-19 season
Posted August 17, 2022 1:57 pm.
Last Updated August 17, 2022 2:03 pm.
Ontario doctors are advising people to keep up with vaccinations ahead of the fall when illnesses including COVID-19 and influenza are expected to spread amid health system challenges.
Physicians spoke at a virtual panel hosted by the Ontario Medical Association (OMA) for a look-ahead discussion about the pandemic and other healthcare issues in the coming months.
Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Zain Chagla says other countries have seen influenza spikes this year, and Ontario should brace for something similar, as well as a likely increase in COVID-19 cases in the fall.
Chagla says Ontarians should get their flu shots to avoid serious symptomatic illness and related healthcare strain as the system deals with staffing shortages and other challenges.
Dr. Andrew Petrosoniak, an emergency doctor in Toronto, anticipates hospital strain will worsen in the fall after a summer of long wait times and temporary closures in emergency departments due to staffing shortages.
Pediatrician Dr. Sloane Freeman says she’s also concerned about children falling behind COVID-19 vaccinations and other immunizations missed during the pandemic and says efforts must be made to help them catch up.
Vaccine fact checks
OMA officials have published up-to-date information on the safety and efficacy of vaccines, saying that one’s immune system can handle multiple vaccines at once.
“Some vaccines, like the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), protect against multiple diseases with one dose. This saves you or your children from more injections. It’s also safe,” the OMA writes on its website.
“Every day, you come into contact with many more substances that can trigger immune responses (like the common cold, for example) than are contained in vaccines.”
The OMA also expands on vaccine misinformation, noting that vaccines in Canada are rigorously tested before being administered to the public.
“While some vaccines do contain weakened versions of a germ, the keyword is weakened. Vaccines will not infect you with the disease they are meant to protect you from,” the OMA notes.
“Your doctor will make sure you (and nobody’s too old to be vaccinated) or your child can safely receive the vaccine.”
The OMA says there is also zero scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism.
“Many medical procedures, including vaccinations, were delayed due to the pandemic, but it is essential everyone gets up to date on their vaccines,” the OMA says. “Getting vaccinated is more important now than ever.”