Flu immunization clinics started up last week in the Southern Health-Santé Sud region.

Public Health Healthy Living Regional Manager Bev Unger says they're encouraging you to get your flu shot.

"Through Public Health, we have 71 advertised clinics in 58 different communities throughout the region, " explains Unger. "They started as early as October 22 and they will run through until about mid-November."

She notes you can go to their website at Southernhealth.ca to find a red icon similar to the flu clinic flyer, that you can click on, to see what's available in your community. All community clinics are listed there alphabetically.

"For many years, we only gave flu shots to people who were 65 years of age and older," continues Unger. "That has changed over the last several years. All Manitobans over the age of six months can get a flu shot free of charge and this will include pregnant women."

She notes pregnant women can be immunized at any stage of their pregnancy, to not only protect themselves but also the baby. Unger says they encourage families and caregivers of newborns, for those under the age of six months, who can't get be immunized, to get themselves immunized to provide a protective environment to the newborn.

"Those who are caring for people who are immuno-compromised, or have chronic medical condition, we want the people, themselves, to be immunized," adds Unger. "But their caregivers . . . it's also important to them, so that they're not actually spreading influenza to their loved ones or the people that they work with."

Unger says that the more people who are immunized, allow for better protection of the overall population, in order to decrease the number of hospital admissions as well as the physician visits. She notes people may still get mild cases of influenza. However, immunization prevents serious complications that can occur.

She notes some hesitate, thinking that they'll get the flu if they take the shot. Unger says this is a myth. The flu vaccine is inactivated, which means it does not have a live virus in it. When you get a flu shot, there may be some soreness in your arm, or you may feel achy even the next day, but this is a natural body response to building antibodies to fight the influenza virus. Unger says even others feel it may not be a safe vaccine, but yet it's been run through vigorous testing before it's made available. She adds it's extremely safe, even for pregnant women, and safe for children over the age of six months. Unger reassures, if there were any concerns, they would not be authorizing it for the broader range of people.