HomeNews & TopicsInfection ControlA new perspective on the flu shot

A new perspective on the flu shot

Published on

For years, Thom Good didn’t get the flu shot. As a nurse in the emergency department at West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, he has seen first hand how serious the flu can be for vulnerable people. He knew that he should get vaccinated to help protect people with low immunity, like infants, seniors and people who are already sick. But every year, flu season came and went and he never got around to having the shot.

That was until a case of flu hit close to home.

Last year, Thom came down with a bad case of the flu. “It was terrible,” he recalls. “I spent one night lying on the bathroom floor.”

His energy remained low for weeks and he couldn’t seem to rally. In the meantime, his daughter got sick.

She was only one and a half at the time, and is prone to infections. She hadn’t had a flu shot either and when Thomas passed on his germs, the flu hit her hard.

“It was a really terrible parenting moment,” says Thom. “I brought the flu home to my daughter and she got really sick. I felt awful.”

After that, Thom resolved to get the flu shot every year to protect the vulnerable people around him. This year, he and all of his family members have been vaccinated. Though infants under six months can’t get the flu vaccine, it’s very safe for babies over that age.

Thom is sharing his story to help people learn that getting vaccinated against the flu isn’t just about you. It’s about the people around you who may not be strong enough to fight off the flu if they get sick. Every year in Canada, hundreds of people die from the flu. By getting the shot, you protecting yourself and others.

“Now, instead of thinking about why I should get the flu shot, I think about why not,” says Thom. “Why would I not want to protect the people I love?”

Click here to learn more about the flu vaccine.

This article was submitted by Hamilton Health Sciences Centre.

Latest articles

Common drug interactions with over-the-counter medications

TJ, a 45-year-old male with symptoms of a common cold (sore throat, headache, runny...

Easing the Transition to the Cloud. Modernizing made simple with integration support.

Across Canada, most hospitals and healthcare authorities recognize the need to modernize their systems....

Rovolutionizing geriatric care: Meet Canada’s leading Universal Health Hub (UHH)

Universal Health Hub (UHH) is the only Health Care Organization in Canada which is...

National efforts to guide safe, effective, and equitable use of opioids for quality pain management in children

No one should experience untreated pain. Yet, in Canada, two out of three children...

More like this

COVID-19 rapid tests: How good are they?

A new study indicates that COVID-19 self-tests effectively identify non-infected individuals as well people...

Pressure injury education – offering potentially life-saving approach to skin health

When Jay De Alwis was admitted to Toronto Rehab, Lyndhurst Centre following spinal hematoma...

An ER doctor’s experience with long COVID – “My symptoms seemed endless”

On April 2022, another COVID wave was sweeping Toronto. It was the sixth since...

Product Spotlight: Greening Health Care, Cleaning and Disinfecting

(Advertisement) PCS Four-Fold Wipes Hypochlorous Acid and Sodium Hypochlorite compatible can be dispensed from the...

Researching a new treatment for sepsis

For people who are in the intensive care unit (ICU) with a serious health...

Polycystic ovarian syndrome: new review to help diagnose and manage

A new review in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) is aimed at helping clinicians...