If you recently received a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (the most common form of the condition), you are probably wondering how your life will change and what you need to learn to stay as healthy as possible and prevent complications. The first thing you need to do is to learn as much as you can about diabetes and how to reduce your risk of complications. Here are some key factors that affect diabetes management that should be on your list of things to learn about.

Nutrition: What you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it play an important role in managing your blood sugar (also known as blood glucose).

Physical Activity: Getting regular physical activity helps lower blood glucose levels, control weight, improve fitness, and relieve stress.

Weight Management: Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is very important in managing type 2 diabetes and improving health outcomes.

Stress Management: Learning how to manage your stress in healthy ways will make it easier for you to manage your diabetes. Healthy options include speaking with a counsellor, practicing meditation or mindfulness, engaging in yoga or tai chi, or exercising.

Blood Pressure Management: People with diabetes should generally try to keep their blood pressure below 130/80 to reduce risks of eye disease, heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease.

Medication Management: Some people with prediabetes or mild early type 2 diabetes may be treated with changes to diet and physical activity alone, but many people require oral medications, insulin, or other injectable medicines to control their blood glucose level. It is common for people with diabetes to be prescribed a combination of medications to lower blood glucose plus others to prevent complications due to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or other conditions.

Blood Glucose Testing: Measuring and tracking your blood glucose level is a critical step in managing diabetes. When blood glucose is high, the risk of damage to your blood vessels and organs increases. Knowing how different factors affect your blood glucose will let you and your healthcare team know when you may need to make changes to your diet, activity level, or medications to help you achieve your target glucose levels.

This may seem overwhelming at first, but you don’t have to do it all on your own. There is a whole team of health professionals available to help you learn what you need to know to lead your healthiest life.

YOUR DIABETES TEAM

In addition to your doctor, and possibly an endocrinologist, there is a team of healthcare professionals who will work together to help you, and each has a particular area of expertise.

 Pharmacist: Your London Drugs pharmacists are an important part of your team and are the most accessible healthcare professionals. They are available to answer questions about your diabetes or other medical conditions, usually without an appointment, even in evenings or on weekends. Pharmacists are medication experts and will help you understand the purpose of your medications and how to take them. They can work with your doctor to manage your medications to reduce side effects and improve efficacy. Other members of the pharmacy team can teach you about blood glucose monitors and insulin delivery devices and how to safely dispose of used needles or testing supplies.

Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE): London Drugs CDE pharmacists have additional specialty education to help patients learn about and manage their diabetes. They can help patients develop an overall diabetes care plan, manage medications for effectiveness and address any concerns, adjust insulin doses, advise how to prevent and treat hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) and hyperglycemia (high blood glucose), plus they can provide advanced training on blood glucose monitoring devices. Talk to your pharmacist to find out if this service is available in your area.

Dietitian or Nutritionist: Food and diet experts can teach you how different types of foods can affect your blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and overall health. They can provide meal plans or guidelines for healthy eating choices and timing of meals. Check with your doctor or pharmacist about how to contact a dietician or nutritionist in your area.

Podiatrist: People with diabetes need to pay special attention to their feet. A podiatrist is a doctor who specializes in detecting and treating foot and lower leg problems such as nerve damage, joint problems, blood vessel damage, and infections. Diabetes can cause reduced blood flow or nerve damage that can lead to infections that don’t heal. Be sure to have any foot concerns looked at immediately.

Optometrist: Diabetes can cause damage to the small blood vessels of your eyes, leading to impaired vision, cataracts, glaucoma, or other problems. Schedule regular screening appointments with your eye doctor to reduce your risks.

Dentist: People with diabetes have a higher risk of gum disease and cavities. Regular checkups and cleanings are important for everyone.

Others: Depending on your needs, other specialists and service providers may be added to your team. Be sure to inform each member of your team who else is involved in your care so they can work together to help you succeed in your health goals.

If you have any questions about diabetes prevention or treatment for yourself or for a loved one, speak to your London Drugs pharmacist. We are here to help you anytime.

Throughout our lives, our body keeps our bones strong by replacing old bone cells with new bone cells, but as we age this process slows down and we gradually lose more bone than we make. When bone loss occurs more rapidly than normal, bones become thin and weak, a condition called osteoporosis. When bones are severely weakened, something as simple as a fall from standing height can lead to a cracked or broken bone (called a fragility fracture), which can cause disability and sometimes even lead to death.

WHAT IS YOUR RISK?

To prevent osteoporosis and the consequences it can cause, it is important to understand what your risk of thinning bones is. This is analyzed in several ways. A bone mineral density (BMD) scan is a painless test performed at an imaging lab that measures the density of your bones. It can tell whether you have osteoporosis now or how likely you will be to develop it in the future. Doctors often combine the results of a BMD test with an assessment of your risk factors to provide a more accurate way of predicting your risk of a fracture.

There are two tools available to help doctors make this assessment. THE CAROC TEST considers your BMD test score along with your age, gender, fracture history, and steroid use to determine your risk of a fracture within the next ten years. THE FRAX TEST takes into account the same factors as the CAROC test, but it also looks at your BMI (weight-to-height ratio), if you have any health conditions that contribute to bone loss, if either of your parents had a hip fracture, if you are a smoker, and how much alcohol you consume. Because it includes many more risk factors than the CAROC test, the FRAX test can be used without a BMD score.

REDUCE YOUR RISK

Adopting certain healthy lifestyle habits can help prevent, delay, or reduce bone loss, which can offset the complications associated with osteoporosis.

Here are some helpful pointers:

EXERCISE: Regular physical activity that involves resistance training along with weightbearing aerobic exercise can help build and maintain bone strength. Exercises such as yoga and Tai Chi that focus on balance can help people who are at risk of falling.

CALCIUM: This mineral is essential for healthy bone development. Good sources include dairy products, calcium-fortified beverages, and legumes such as soybeans and chickpeas. If you don’t get enough calcium from your diet, calcium supplements might be a good choice for you and are available as liquid, chewable tablets, gummies, or regular tablets. Most adults require 1000mg to 1200mg of calcium per day. A cup (250mL) of milk, ice cream, or yogurt or 2 ounces (60g) of cheese contains about 300 mg of calcium.

VITAMIN D: The body needs vitamin D in order to absorb calcium, so it is important to make sure you get enough of it. Sun exposure can help our bodies naturally produce our own vitamin D, but in northern countries like Canada, adding vitamin D from food or supplements is often required to ensure we get enough. In Canada, cow’s milk and margarine must be fortified with vitamin D. It can also be found in some fortified beverages including milk-alternatives and some orange juices, fatty fish such as salmon, fish liver oils, and egg yolks. Adults 50 years and over require 800 IU to 2000 IU of vitamin D per day. Vitamin D supplements are available as concentrated drops, chewable or regular tablets, tablets that dissolve under your tongue, gummies, and liquids.

TREATING OSTEOPOROSIS

If you have a high risk of fracture, your doctor will probably recommend treating your osteoporosis with medication in addition to making healthy lifestyle choices. Medicines used to treat osteoporosis fall into two main categories that either slow down the removal of old bone cells or increase the formation of new bone cells. Some osteoporosis drugs are taken by mouth; others are injected under the skin or delivered by IV infusion into a vein. Your healthcare team, including your pharmacist, can discuss each medication and help you decide which treatment and prevention plan is best for you.

Measuring blood sugar (blood glucose) levels is one of the most critical things people with diabetes can do to manage their condition and prevent complications. Testing is especially important for people at risk of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.

Glucose is the source of energy used by your brain and your body to function properly. If there is not enough glucose circulating in your blood, you can experience unpleasant or even dangerous consequences. Glucose levels that are too high (called hyperglycemia) can lead to complications including cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease, damaged organs, foot sores, problems with your bones, loss of vision, and tooth and gum infections. Low blood glucose levels (called hypoglycemia) can be very serious as well. Complications can include a reduced ability to think, learn, remember, and make decisions but it can also

lead to passing out, coma, or even death in some cases. Repeated episodes of low glucose can also cause a condition called hypoglycemia unawareness, in which you become so used to the symptoms that you don’t realize that what you are feeling is due to low blood glucose. When this happens, your brain may not work properly, and you could have a seizure or lose consciousness. This is a dangerous situation and must be treated right away.

WHO IS LIKELY TO HAVE LOW BLOOD SUGAR?

Low blood sugar is more common in people with diabetes who use insulin or take certain other diabetes medicines like glyburide, glimepiride, or glipizide. Combining these drugs with certain other medications can increase your risk. Ask your London Drugs pharmacist if you are at risk of hypoglycemia and make a treatment plan for what to do if it occurs. Other factors that make it more likely a person will experience hypoglycemia are being aged 65 or older, having had episodes of low blood sugar in the past, or having other health problems such as heart or kidney disease. Hypoglycemia can also be the result of not eating enough food, not eating on schedule, drinking alcohol, and engaging in unplanned physical activity. People taking insulin are particularly at risk of hypoglycemia if they mistakenly use more insulin than they need.

A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself from hypoglycemia. The first step is to know the warning signs of low blood sugar and watch for them. You may be experiencing mild to moderate hypoglycemia if:

• You are dizzy, lightheaded, confused, or irritable
• You are hungry
• You are tired
• You feel jittery or shaky
• You are unable to see or speak clearly
• You have a headache
• Your heart is beating too fast or is not beating steadily

When low blood glucose occurs during sleep, you may cry out, have nightmares, or sweat enough to make your pajamas or sheets damp. When you wake up, you may feel tired, irritable, or confused. When your blood sugar drops very low, your brain may not work properly, and you may have a seizure or lose consciousness. This is a dangerous situation and must be treated right away.

TREATING HYPOGLYCEMIA

Speak with your healthcare team before you experience a hypoglycemic episode so you will know what to do if it happens to you, and make sure you always have a glucose monitor to test your blood sugar level and the appropriate remedies with you. It is important to treat low blood sugar by bringing your glucose level up right away. For mild to moderate hypoglycemia, start by eating or drinking 15 grams of fast-acting sugar. Liquid sources will work faster than solids. Good choices for an adult include:

• 4 or 5 glucose or dextrose tablets (available for purchase at a pharmacy)
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of honey
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of sugar dissolved in water
• 2/3 cup (150 mL) of juice or a regular (not sugar-free) soft drink
• 6 Life Savers® candies or 2 rolls of Rockets Candy®

These amounts may not be appropriate for a child. Anyone at risk of hypoglycemia should always have an emergency form of glucose available to use if they are not able to swallow or are unconscious. If the person becomes sleepy or sluggish or if the person is unconscious, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency service and begin treatment immediately. Fast acting treatments include Glucagon nasal spray or injection, or glucose gel applied to the inside cheek of their mouth. Be sure that all household members and caregivers know how to use these in an emergency.

After attempting to treat hypoglycemia, wait 15 minutes and recheck your blood glucose level. Generally, the goal is a blood glucose reading of 3.9 mmol/L or above if your next meal is within an hour. If after 15 minutes your blood sugar is still below 3.9 mmol/L, consume another 15 grams of fast-acting sugar and retest your blood glucose again 15 minutes later.

Once your glucose is above 3.9 mmol/L you need to eat. If your next meal is more than an hour away, eat a starchy snack (such as one slice of bread or seven crackers) and some protein (such as one piece of cheese or two tablespoons [30 mL] of peanut butter) to help keep the blood glucose in range. Do not eat protein or fat until your sugar is in range, as it slows the absorption of glucose. If you need to go somewhere by car, wait until your blood sugar level is above 5 mmol/L before driving, or let someone else drive. It can take up to 40 minutes for your brain to function normally again, so you can drive safely. Hypoglycemia may be frightening to think about, but with some planning you can respond quickly to avoid dangerous consequences.

Always have your treatments on you, and make sure that those with you know how to recognize the symptoms of low blood sugar and how to help you in an emergency. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist to make sure you know if your medications put you at risk of hypoglycemia and have a clear plan ready to execute if needed.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in Canada, but it’s the most common cancer among women. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. Fortunately, 82% of breast cancer cases in women are diagnosed early, increasing the likelihood of survival. In fact, nearly 90% of women in Canada survive for at least five years after a breast cancer diagnosis. Much of this positive survival rate is due to screening for the disease.  Not only does breast cancer screening increase survival, it provides other benefits as well. When breast cancer is detected early, it can mean less treatment and a shorter time recovering,

What exactly is screening?

Screening means checking for a disease before you show any signs of having that disease. In the case of breast cancer, this usually means examining your own breasts on a regular basis. If you note anything of concern, the next step is to consult your doctor to see if further testing is needed. Many doctors also perform a breast exam during a physical or pelvic exam appointment.

Your goal should be to start assessing your breast health before any warning signs appear, so it is important to begin your breast self-exams on a regular basis right away. This will help you to become familiar with the look and feel of your breasts, which will make it easier to spot any changes.

You should also be aware of the warning signs of breast cancer so you can watch for them. Although these changes can be caused by conditions other than cancer, if you discover any of them, you should see your doctor right away.  Warning signs include:

• Any change in the size or shape of your breast
• Flaky skin or redness on your breast
• Irritation or dimpling of the skin on your breast
• A new lump in your breast or underarm (armpit)
• Thickening or swelling in any part of your breast
• Nipple discharge other than breast milk
• Pain in your breast

Mammograms

In addition to examining your breasts regularly, you should consider having a mammogram, a type of X-ray of your breast. Talk to your doctor to find out when and how often you should have this test.  In many regions you can also call your local mammography clinic or breast screening centre to book a mammogram without a doctor’s referral.

Breast cancer screening is recommended to begin at age 40 for most women, Two-Spirit, trans, and gender diverse individuals with no symptoms.

Individuals between the ages of 40 and 74 with a first degree relative (mother, sister, or daughter) who have had breast cancer, are almost twice as likely to develop the disease themselves. Because family history is a significant risk factor, annual mammograms are often recommended for this group. Additional screenings or genetic counselling may also be considered.

Individuals 50 to 74 years old without a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to continue to get a mammogram every 2 years. Once reaching 75 years of age, the recommendation may change to every 2 to 3 years or less.  A discussion with a health care professional will weigh the continued benefits and limitations of mammography.

The regulations surrounding mammograms differ somewhat from province to province, so you are encouraged to discuss having a mammogram with your healthcare provider to see if you would require a doctor’s referral to have a mammogram and how often you should undergo this screening procedure. You can also call your local mammography clinic if you have questions.

Breast and chest health for all genders

All individuals should also be mindful of their breast or chest health. Although male breast cancer is rare, it does occur. Each year in Canada about 220 males will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and 66 will die from it.

The key take away

Everyone should regularly check their breasts or chest and consult a healthcare provider if they notice any changes, lumps or other unusual symptoms. Early detection can lead to better treatment options and improved health outcomes.

References:

https://www.cdc.gov/breast-cancer/symptoms/index.html

Who Should Screen? (bccancer.bc.ca)

Men Can Get Breast Cancer Too – BC Cancer Foundation

https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-types/breast/screening

www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/breast/who-should-screen#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20at%20high,other%20pathogenic%20gene%20variant%20carrier

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/medical-tests/breast-self-examination#:~:text=Lumps%20or%20changes%20also%20may,higher%20risk%20of%20breast%20cancer.

www.bccancer.bc.ca/screening/health-professionals/breast

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/breast-cancer.html

https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=tv8455

https://www.cbcn.ca/en/male_bc#:~:text=Male%20breast%20cancer%20is%20rare,will%20die%20from%20the%20disease.

https://cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/find-cancer-early/get-screened-for-breast-cancer/benefits-and-limitations-of-screening-for-breast-cancer#:~:text=Early%20detection%20of%20breast%20cancer,better%20your%20chance%20of%20survival.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/mammogram/about/pac-20384806

Screentime before bed can negatively affect your sleep

Screentime, or using an electronic device such as cell phones and tablets, before going to bed can negatively impact both the quality and duration of your sleep. Although a popular way to unwind at the end of the day, this pre-sleep activity has been shown to delay bedtime, cause sleep loss, contribute to irregular sleep-wake patterns, and lead to daytime fatigue and later rise times the next morning. Studies have shown that you are more likely to experience a poor sleep when you use your phone for more than 60 minutes before bedtime.

Sleep loss has also been associated with other negative physical effects. Insomnia (trouble falling asleep or staying asleep) and sleep loss have been linked to an increase in blood pressure and, therefore, an increased risk of developing a chronic problem with high blood pressure (hypertension). Poor sleep quality has also been connected to accelerated skin aging, including wrinkles, sagging, and skin conditions like eczema… Sleep loss can lead to anxiety and depression, and many studies have shown that insomnia can impair brain functions such as thought processes, memory, and concentration. The use of screens before bedtime can have a snowball effect that adversely affects you into the next day and can continue as an ongoing cycle.

The good news is that help is readily available from your community pharmacist to tackle your sleep problems. Your pharmacist can work with you to adjust your sleep medication timing or dose to better suit your needs or can help you develop a plan to gradually stop sleep medications altogether. The pharmacist can review your full list of medications and medical conditions to determine if anything else is contributing to your sleep troubles and can also suggest non-drug options and advise you on the use of natural remedies like melatonin. It can be helpful to maintain a sleep log and share the details with your healthcare team–include how long it takes you to fall asleep, how long you sleep, and if you ever wake up after initially falling asleep. Include notes about what may have contributed to your sleep quality. Throughout your sleep journey, your pharmacist can be there to provide support and help you adjust your care plan as needed.

If you need extra help, you can work with a specialty pharmacist or physician trained in non-medication therapy for insomnia (NMTi) to help improve your bedtime routine to achieve quality sleep. Care plans include identifying and changing habits and thoughts contributing to the problems you have with sleep. Common non-drug suggestions include using the bedroom only for sleeping and intimacy, keeping the bedroom free from light and noise, waking at the same time every morning, avoiding daytime napping, and changing behaviours that contribute to causing sleep problems. Relaxation strategies such as progressive muscle relaxation and breathing techniques can be helpful before bed. Some techniques have even been proven to be more effective than sleep medications for long-term insomnia. These ideas may seem like they require a large commitment at first, but great results can be accomplished as soon as two to four weeks.

Even though screen use before bed seems like a good way to relax, it can have multiple negative effects on your quality of sleep and overall wellbeing. Talk to your London Drugs pharmacist today to learn more about how to get the good sleep your body needs.

Don’t let these common diseases take your breath away.

Asthma and COPD are two common breathing disorders. While both problems may seem similar in some ways, they are very different conditions. If you find that you are having trouble breathing when you aren’t suffering from a cold or the flu, it is important to see your doctor to discover what is causing the problem—is it asthma, COPD, or something else? Without a proper diagnosis, you won’t be able to treat it and relieve the symptoms. So, take a deep breath and read on.

ASTHMA

Asthma is a condition that happens when the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs become swollen, making it harder for air to flow through them. It is a serious problem that doesn’t go away. Once you develop asthma, you are likely to have it for the rest of your life. Even when it isn’t producing any symptoms, it’s still there in the background.

Symptoms can vary from person to person, but common symptoms include:

• chest tightness or pain
• coughing
• shortness of breath
• wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound when breathing)

There is no cure for asthma, but it can be managed and the symptoms reduced. Treatment usually begins with learning to recognize the things that trigger your asthma attacks and avoiding those triggers. It is also important to keep track of how well you breathe to make sure the medications you take are keeping your symptoms under control.

There are two main types of asthma medications. One type is long-term asthma control medications such as corticosteroids that are usually taken daily and help prevent asthma symptoms on a day-to-day basis and reduce the likelihood that you’ll have an asthma attack. The other type is quick relief (rescue) medications called bronchodilators like salbutamol or ipratropium bronchodilators that open up your airways for rapid relief of symptoms during an asthma attack. If your asthma is triggered by allergies, medicines like antihistamines may also be part of your treatment plan.

It is important to follow your asthma treatment plan carefully and to take all of your medicines exactly as instructed, because uncontrolled asthma can have serious implications for your health. Over time, it can do much harm, including damaging your lungs, increasing your risk of developing pneumonia, or leading to complications during pregnancy.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an inflammatory lung disease that interferes with air flow from the lungs. Symptoms include:

• chest tightness
• cough
• difficulty breathing
• frequent respiratory infections
• lack of energy
• mucus production
• shortness of breath
• swelling in the ankles, legs, or feet
• unintended weight loss
• wheezing

It is typically caused by long-term exposure to irritating gases, dusts or chemicals including tobacco smoke as the most significant risk factor. If you smoke, the best thing you can do to treat your COPD is to quit. Your London Drugs pharmacists can advise you on products and tips that can help you quit smoking successfully.

Medications are also available to help control the symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and reduce your risk of complications from COPD. Some of these medicines are inhaled; others are taken by mouth.

Uncontrolled COPD, can lead to many serious complications, including:

• depression
• heart problems like heart disease or heart attacks
• high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood to your lungs
• lung cancer
• respiratory infections
• chronic bronchitis
• emphysema

MEDICINES & VACCINES

While some medicines used to treat asthma and COPD are taken by mouth, others are inhaled.

Many of these medications are breathed in using a small hand-held device called an inhaler. Some inhalers have dry powder to inhale using the power of your own inhaled breath, others utilize a propellant gas to spray the medication into the mouth to be inhaled into the lungs. One problem with spray-type inhalers is that they require the user to spray the device while at the same time inhaling the medication. This takes coordination to be effective. A tube-like spacer device is an effective way to simply deliver spray-type inhaled medications to your lungs. The inhaler attaches to one end of the spacer and a dose is sprayed into the tube. Then the user takes a couple of slow deep breaths from the opposite end of the tube to carry the medication to the lungs. Spacers are available in a variety of sizes and can include a face mask if needed. They are covered by most insurance plans. Ask your pharmacist to show you one.

Respiratory infections can cause special problems for people with asthma and COPD, so being vaccinated against these diseases is particularly important. Vaccines are available to provide protection against preventable respiratory diseases such as influenza (the flu), pneumonia, and COVID-19. And now a new vaccine has recently become available to provide protection against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a major cause of lower respiratory tract illness. RSV vaccines are indicated for adults 60 years and over and for pregnant individuals during weeks 32 to 36 of pregnancy to pass immunity to their unborn babies

If you have asthma or COPD, speak with your doctor or London Drugs pharmacist about how to ensure you are getting the full medication dose from your inhalers and about which vaccinations you should have to help prevent serious illness. You can also try our free online vaccination quiz at londondrugs.com/vaccine-screening to find out what other vaccines you should consider.

Many people use the term flu to refer to any illness caused by a virus, such as the common cold or stomach flu, and this can lead to confusion. However, the influenza virus causes a respiratory illness that tends to be more severe than these viruses and is more likely to cause complications. So, lets discuss some concerns that are common, information currently available and the recommendations that Health Canada provides about the flu vaccine.

“Influenza is not a serious illness. I’ll be okay if I get the flu.”

In years when influenza is widespread in Canada, people may die from influenza or its complications, such as pneumonia. Influenza can lead to serious illness in seniors 65 years and older and in other high-risk groups.  Getting a flu shot protects not only you, but also helps to limit the spread of flu to people around you. You might have mild symptoms that feel like a cold but someone more vulnerable may suffer serious consequences. Older adults, young children, pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy, and those with immune system problems or other medical conditions can become very ill from the flu. When you get the flu shot it helps to protect them as well.

“I have never had influenza, so I do not need to get a Flu shot.”

Symptoms of influenza can vary from mild to severe. Most people likely get sick with influenza several times during their lives. The influenza virus is always evolving so this makes it important to get the updated vaccine each year. The vaccine is designed to protect you against the most harmful strains that caused pandemics in the past such as H1N1 or H2N2.  If you do get the flu, the symptoms will be less severe than if you were not vaccinated at all.
 

“I got the flu after my flu shot”

Flu shots cannot cause influenza illness. Most flu shots contain inactivated or killed influenza viruses. An exception is the nasal spray flu vaccine which contains live weakened strains of influenza, but it cannot cause influenza infection either.  However, during the fall and winter there are many different types of viruses that can cause influenza-like symptoms like colds, COVID-19 and RSV. No vaccines can ensure 100% protection from catching a virus, and they take about 2 weeks to gain their full effectiveness. If you do get influenza, the vaccine is designed to decrease how bad the symptoms are and the risk of severe illness, complications, hospitalization, and even death.

“Getting an influenza vaccine every year weakens my immune system.”

Each year the influenza vaccines are updated to try to match the strains of influenza circulating.  When you get your annual flu shot it ensures you are getting the best protection against the new strains. The flu shot does not overwork your immune system, it trains your immune system to be able to attack the virus quickly when it enters your body.

We hope you have discovered new information, have resolved common concerns that many people have about the Flu virus and the vaccine and that helps you make the best decision for you and your loved ones. We can’t wait to welcome you to our pharmacy!