The City of Ottawa will re-open three flu clinics on Monday to deal with high demand amid one of the worst flu seasons the region has seen in the last 10 years.
The first of three one-day flu clinics will be held on Jan. 14 at Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Kanata from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The second clinic will be held on Jan. 17 at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Secondary School in Orleans from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The third clinic will be held Jan. 19 at a City of Ottawa facility from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 100 Constellation Dr. in Nepean.
Officials with Ottawa Public Health (OPH) said four people in Ottawa have died from the flu so far this season.
As of Jan. 8 there have been 201 lab confirmed cases of influenza, according to OPH.
Flu season started rapidly in Ottawa.
“It sucked, I was in bed for maybe three to four days vomiting, really sick. All that nice stuff,” said Hiva Mikail.
“It lasted a lot longer and I had a nagging cough that stayed around for awhile. I found it a little worse than usual.”
“I do see a lot of people around work very sick, they come to work sick, I think they should probably stay home,” said Vanessa Peral.
Some people said their fear of pain is worse than their fear of the flu and don’t plan on getting the vaccine.
“If you take it other people would not get sick and then it has a ripple effect in that regard but no, no, no , no. I also hate needles,” said Toufic Adlouni.
How to protect yourself
- Wash your hands with soap and water
- If you cough or sneeze, use your arm and not your hand
- Avoid crowds where germs can spread
- Stay at home if you’re sick
Residents can also get the flu vaccine from their doctor or many walk-in clinics.
A number of pharmacies are also offering the flu vaccine.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Katie Griffin
