B.C. flu vaccine program expanded

Health officials in B.C. are expanding the annual free flu vaccine program to include two new groups this year, as they prepare to start offering the new vaccine on Monday.

Provincial Health officer Dr. Perry Kendall says the vaccine will once again be free for people at high risk of complications from the flu, such as seniors, children and those with certain health problems.

And for the first time this year the morbidly obese — people with a body mass index above 40 — and aboriginal people on and off reserve will also get the vaccine for free, said Kendall.

"Aboriginal people were in some parts of Canada at higher risk for H1N1, and we held discussions with our First Nations health council and they felt it would be appropriate to offer influenza vaccine to all aboriginal people, so we have made that decision to do that in British Columbia as well," said Kendall.

Last year's flu season was unusual because of the H1N1 pandemic, and that has made it difficult to predict how serious the virus will be this year, but this year's vaccine protects against three strains, said Kendall.

"It contains an antigen against the pandemic H1N1. It contains antigen against the H3n2 and against a B influenza," he said.

Via : cbc