Push for Ottawa residents to get the flu and COVID-19 shots before the holidays

Phil Brown is getting his flu shot, and his wife Shelley couldn’t be happier.

"We have a family member who is immunocompromised and want to make sure she's protected (for the holidays)," Shelley said.

Administering the vaccine was compounding pharmacist Andrew Hanna. Based at Pharmasave Avalon in Orleans, he says demand for both the flu shot and a COVID-19 booster comes in waves.

"This past week we administered 300 flu shots. Normally we'd see a little bit more than that," Hanna said.

"We've also seen a decline on COVID shots."

With the holiday break just weeks away, health officials are urging those who haven't to get vaccinated against the flu and COVID-19 for added protection.

"Right now, two weeks before Christmas break and the holidays is important,” said Hanna. 

Ottawa Public Health says respiratory virus levels remain high in the capital. COVID-19 levels are climbing after weeks of decline while influenza and RSV are also on the rise.

The latest push comes as hospitals across this country are grappling with staffing shortages in the middle of a brutal tri-demic. CHEO seeing an unprecedented level of patients this fall with respiratory viruses, even calling in the Canadian Red Cross to provide clinical support.

"This is a crisis, not just in Ottawa or Ontario but across the country," Dr. Dale Kalina said.

The infectious diseases doctor says flu cases are higher than expected this time of year and that will likely go up after the break.

"Which is troublesome because we are already overwhelmed. I want to underscore the importance of doing everything you can really to help avoid going to the hospital yourself," Dr. Kalina said.

For Brown, that means getting the flu vaccine, maintaining physical distance from others, and keeping a mask on in closed public spaces.