Health Insight
Kristina Chester
Senior Director of Pharmacy Services, Shoppers Drug Mart
Nneka Ezurike
Pharmacist & Associate-Owner, Shoppers Drug Mart
A little planning, trusted information, and an annual flu shot can help Canadians prepare for respiratory illness season.
You may already have a fall checklist: back-to-school routines, prescription refills, appointments, and a calendar that fills up quickly. One more seasonal health task is worth adding: planning for your annual flu shot.
Canada’s National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommends that the influenza vaccine be offered every year to everyone six months of age and older who does not have a contraindication. In Ontario, the flu shot is publicly funded for people six months and older who live, work, or attend school in the province, and pharmacists are authorized to administer the influenza vaccine to people two years of age and older.
“Flu vaccination is one of those preventative health steps that comes around every year,” says Kristina Chester, Senior Director of Pharmacy Services at Shoppers Drug Mart. “Making a plan before flu season can help people protect themselves and the people around them.”
Why the flu shot is an annual habit
Unlike some vaccinations that are given once or on a longer schedule, influenza vaccination is recommended every year. The flu viruses expected to circulate can change from season to season, and protection from vaccination decreases over time.
Timing matters, too. It generally takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop its best protection. That’s why public health guidance recommends getting the updated vaccine each fall, ideally before flu season gets underway, however getting vaccinated later in the season can still provide the benefits of protection.
Some people are at greater risk of influenza-related complications or hospitalization, including adults 65 and older, young children, pregnant people, and people with certain chronic health conditions. A pharmacist or other healthcare provider can help you understand what’s recommended for you.
Start with trusted information
Questions often come to mind before you meet with a pharmacist or other provider: When are flu shots available? Do I need to pay for the flu shot? For adults who want to get informed before speaking with a healthcare professional, PC Chat™ is available through the PC Health™ and Shoppers Drug Mart apps and websites. This free AI-powered health tool was built in Canada for Canadians and is grounded in more than 1,000 Canadian clinical sources, providing plain-language health information in real time and helping users understand possible next steps.
Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies are open longer hours, they’re open more days, and generally the timing to access that care is a bit more flexible.
With their consent, users can also choose to connect eligible information from their Shoppers Drug Mart digital pharmacy profile, giving PC Chat™ more context to provide relevant information. PC Chat™ is designed to support — not replace — professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Pharmacists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals remain essential sources of individualized care, helping patients understand their options and make decisions that are right for them.
“An informed patient is an empowered patient,” says Nneka Ezurike, a pharmacist and Shoppers Drug Mart Associate-Owner. “Our job as healthcare professionals is to ensure people have credible information, understand the benefits and considerations, and feel empowered to make an informed decision about their health.”
Making prevention easier to fit in
Community pharmacies can make seasonal vaccination easier to work into everyday life. Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies offer convenient locations and hours, and pharmacists can answer questions about eligibility, timing, vaccine options and other factors that may be relevant to an individual.
“Convenience can make the difference between intending to get vaccinated and actually getting it done,” says Ezurike.
For those planning ahead, flu shot pre-booking for high-risk Ontarians at Shoppers Drug Mart opens in the fall, after the province announces the 2026 start date for the program. Appointment timing and vaccine availability can vary by province and location, so Canadians should check shoppersdrugmart.ca/flu for appointment availability or ask PC Chat™ when booking will become available.
Until then, there’s still plenty you can do: learn more about the flu vaccine, make note of questions you want to ask, and talk with your pharmacist about your fall vaccination plan.
“Community pharmacies are an important additional entry point into the health care system,” says Chester. “Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies are open longer hours, they’re open more days, and generally the timing to access that care is a bit more flexible.”
MYTHS AND FACTS ABOUT THE FLU SHOT
MYTH: If I got a flu shot last year, I’m covered this year.
FACT: Flu vaccination is recommended every year. The viruses expected to circulate can change from season to season, and protection from the vaccine decreases over time.
MYTH: The flu shot can give me the flu.
FACT: It can’t. Side effects after influenza vaccination are generally mild and short-lived, such as soreness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, or muscle aches.
MYTH: I’m healthy, so the flu shot isn’t recommended for me.
FACT: NACI recommends that influenza vaccine be offered annually to everyone six months of age and older unless there’s a medical reason they should not receive it. Vaccination is particularly important for people at higher risk of serious complications, and for those who can pass influenza to someone at higher risk.
MYTH: I should wait until flu is spreading widely before I get vaccinated.
FACT: It generally takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to develop its best protection. Public health guidance recommends getting the updated flu vaccine each fall, ideally before flu season is underway.
MYTH: I have to space my flu shot apart from a COVID-19 vaccine.
FACT: NACI says seasonal influenza vaccines may be given on the same day as, or at any time before or after, other vaccines, including COVID-19 vaccines.
MYTH: Pharmacists can only give flu shots to adults.
FACT: In Ontario, pharmacists are authorized to administer influenza vaccine to people two years of age and older. Children younger than two who are eligible for influenza vaccination can receive it from another appropriate healthcare provider.
Publicly funded eligibility, vaccine products, and availability vary by province and territory. Speak with your pharmacist or local public health authority for guidance relevant to you.
To learn more, visit shoppersdrugmart.ca/flu.
