Dear Spectrum Patients,
We know there have been a lot of questions regarding the flu vaccine this season and want to provide an update now that we have information and recommendations to pass along.
Unfortunately, due to the small size of our waiting room and the necessity of physical distancing, we are not able to offer a walk-in flu shot clinic at Spectrum this year, nor are we able to book appointments for flu shots. We understand this may be disappointing, however our doctors, nurses and front staff are extremely busy at the moment with high volumes of patients who need to be seen for both urgent medical reasons and ongoing management of chronic diseases – we simply don’t have the staffing capacity, the physical space required or the supply of vaccinations to be able to safely offer a flu shot clinic this year.
However, it is of course still very important that you get your flu shot this year!
We first suggest that you call your local pharmacy to check their flu shots appointments/availability. Be aware that some pharmacies may charge a fee to give you the shot; however there are many that will offer it free of charge to those who qualify (here is a list of who qualifies for the publicly funded vaccine: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/inactivated-influenza-vaccine). If you do receive the flu shot from a pharmacy, please ask them to send us a notification in order for us to document it in your chart.
You may also obtain the flu shot from public health clinics. Please visit the Vancouver Coastal Health website (http://www.vch.ca/public-health/communicable-diseases-immunizations/flu-shots-flu-clinics) to find a clinic near you. You may also visit ImmunizeBC website (https://immunizebc.ca/clinics) to find a pharmacy/public health clinic offering the vaccine. Both websites will be regularly updated for additional public health clinics.
At this time we ask that you please refrain from walking into Spectrum requesting a flu shot so that we may reserve physician and nursing time for medical appointments. Unless you have a booked appointment, or you are quickly picking up a medication, form or an STI self-testing kit, please do not come to the clinic in order to help us keep everyone safe, healthy and socially distanced.
Thank you for your understanding at this time. We truly appreciate your effort in keeping our clinic a safe place for everyone. Until our next update, stay distanced, stay sensible, and stay well.
– Your Spectrum Team
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