The Flu and You

As President and CEO of Alberta Health Services, I see first-hand our physicians, our clinicians and our nurses working to improve our health care system every single day; working to ensure the right care is available, right when you need it. They are working flat out to help you be healthy and also to help you stay healthy.
Our goal is to create the best-performing publicly-funded health system in Canada and we are committed to realizing that goal. We cannot do that alone. You are an active participant in your own health.
You can make a big difference in protecting your own health and the health of those around you by doing something simple this fall and every fall: get your flu shot.
Each year, we see the impact of influenza on our communities. Each year, we also see the impact of influenza on our health system and, in particular, on our emergency departments and hospitals.
When Albertans get sick with influenza, our wait times increase and care becomes less accessible. Emergency care isn't immune to influenza and, without a flu shot, neither are you.
Alberta's influenza immunization clinics opened around the province on October 17th, offering annual flu shots, free of charge, to all Albertans six months of age and older. As of November 5th, AHS has immunized 322,916 Albertans against influenza.
This is a good start, but we have a long way to go.
Last year, we immunized more than 830,000 Albertans. This sounds like a big number, but we know it was not enough. We still saw hundreds of cases of influenza last year. Week over week, influenza-related visits to our emergency departments increased. And, regrettably for some, influenza was too severe to overcome. Last year we saw approximately 300 influenza-related deaths across the province.
Influenza affects us all. Immunization protects us all. Everyone – including healthy people – should be immunized against influenza, every year.
Get the flu shot and you'll be protected against three strains of influenza circulating this season. Get the flu shot, and you'll protect our communities from influenza. Get the flu shot and you'll help us preserve emergency care for those who need it most.
For more influenza information, including complete immunization clinic schedules, visit www.albertahealthservices.ca or call Health Link Alberta, 24/7, toll-free at 1.866.408.5465 (LINK).


Dr. Chris Eagle
President and Chief Executive Officer
Alberta Health Services