With winter just around the corner, pharmacies are ready with annual vaccinations.

Caitlin Giercke, pharmacy manager/owner of Pharmasave Portage, says flu season runs from October through to April, which is why the push to get vaccinated starts now. She notes that when the weather gets colder, the flu and other illnesses spread more easily.

“It's important because in the winter we tend to be in closer contact with people,” says Giercke. “We tend to be indoors more often, especially now as restrictions have eased with COVID-19. We’re attending more social events and things like that, so it’s important to have those vaccinations.”

She adds that vaccinations for the flu are done annually. Since they’re publicly funded, it won’t cost anything when you go to your pharmacy.

“The best thing to do is to call your pharmacy,” says Giercke. “Pharmacies kind of do things a little bit differently. Sometimes we do them by appointment, sometimes we do them by walk-in and it's all also dependent on vaccine availability and staffing availability too.”

She says that another vaccine to stay up-to-date with is your COVID-19 boosters. Giercke says if you haven’t received a dose in the last six months, now would be the time to schedule a booster.