Ottawa's annual battle with the flu virus has begun, as the city's first flu shot clinic opened Saturday.
Twenty seven nurses waited, needles at the ready, for the estimated crowd of 2,000 visiting Holy Trinity Catholic High School in Kanata for the shot.
Those getting the vaccine said they were doing it for others as well as themselves, as they tried to stop the spread of the virus.
"I get it to protect myself and other people in the community," said Penny Morris.
Natalie Thomas, a mother of three, said if one member of the family gets sick it affects everyone.
"It's so they stay healthy so that we don't interrupt the schedule, it's a very busy household," she said.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and chief medial officer of health Dr. Isra Levy took the opportunity to get their shots, on which the city is spending around $270,000.
"First of all it's free, it helps prevent the flu, and thirdly it helps prevent overcrowding in hospitals this winter," Watson said.
Dr. Levy said the shot is designed to protect against certain strains of influenza, as determined by the World Health Organization every year.
"When all three strains do match we generally know that depending on the age group, it's somewhere between 60 and 90 per cent effective," he said.
There will be 32 more clinics held across the city in the coming weeks. The complete list can be found here.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Karen Soloman
