No shots but a lot of doses handed out today

North Shore Public Health staff were in action early this morning (Oct. 22), ensuring that 90 physician offices and 45 pharmacies on the North Shore received more than 40,000 doses of this year’s flu vaccine.

Known by staff as the Annual Flu Depot day, the event requires a lot of coordination between vaccine suppliers, VCH Public Health staff and the health professionals who administer the more than 50,000 doses that are delivered annually in the North Shore area.

“Demand for the vaccine is up noticeably now from a few years ago,” says Immunization & Communicable Disease Coordinator Nicole Roy, “and it’s a good sign that more and more people are getting the protection offered.”

The depot day requires a full effort from North Shore Public Health team members because of the volumes of vaccine doses involved.

“The support we get from across our team goes a long way to making this event a success from the perspective of our GPs and pharmacies,” says Nicole. “Our team is willing to go out of their way to make this process as smooth as possible.”

With some physician offices even offering flu clinics this afternoon, pulling off the event successfully was key.