91-year-old Phyliss Scott-Feigel religiously gets a flu shot every year. Health officials estimate the flu causes roughly 4,000 deaths across Canada every year. It's anticipated roughly 35 per cent of Vancouver Island's population will get a flu shot this winter.  (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

flu season

‘It has saved my life:’ Nanaimo senior strongly supports getting annual flu shot

Nov 5, 2019 | 1:27 PM

NANAIMO — While her days holding court in the classroom have long past, a retired teacher made a point to preach the importance of getting an annual flu shot.

Phyliss Scott-Feigel, 91, credited her longevity to rolling up her sleeve every year to protect herself and people around her from from influenza.

“I’ve been getting flu shots as long as they’ve been giving them out and I’ve never had the flu, thank God and thank the flu shot…it has saved my life.”

Scott-Feigel said her health is compromised by a life-long battle with allergies, which heightens the importance of getting vaccinated.

“I have a few friends that never got a flu shot and believe me they’ve had flu every single winter and I’m not exaggerating,” Scott-Feigel said. “I have absolutely no sympathy for them.”

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The impassioned Scott-Feigel said the flu vaccine should be viewed as “your nutrition for the winter.”

She’s among an estimated 260,000 Vancouver Islanders expected to get a flu shot this year, according to regional medial health officer, Dr. Paul Hasselback.

He told NanaimoNewsNOW during Island Health’s flu vaccine kick-off event in Nanaimo on Tuesday Nov. 6, the message of getting immunized is clearly resonating with many people.

He said flu vaccination rates thankfully keep increasing on Vancouver Island, in part because accessibility is much easier nowadays.

“Influenza is still every year the infectious disease that causes the most number of hospitalizations and fatalities,” Dr. Hasselback said.

It’s believed the type of flu (AH3N2) which slammed Australia last summer will be the dominant strain in B.C. this year, which is reflected in the current vaccine’s composition, Dr. Hasselback said.

He said ideally people should get immunized by the end of November.

“What I strongly recommend is don’t wait until you start hearing that the illness is out there. At that point in time it’s not going to provide as much protection as if you get it now,” Dr. Hasselback said.

Dr. Hasselback anticipated an average flu season in terms of the overall impact the virus would have on people in the Island Health zone this winter.

The flu vaccine is provided regionally by physicians, pharmacists and nurses at public health units.

Comprehensive flu vaccination details, including where to get vaccinated, are available here.

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes