With the holiday season fast approaching, the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) are encouraging members of the community to get vaccinated for common respiratory illnesses.
“We know that influenza, COVID-19 and RSV are all circulating in our community and that their vaccinations are safe and effective at preventing emergency department visits and hospitalizations,” says Dr. Kevin Chan, Vice President of Medicine (CME), Research and Academics at London Health Sciences Centre. “We strongly encourage anyone who is eligible to receive these vaccinations to book an appointment through a pharmacy, their primary care provider, or a walk-in clinic. LHSC is offering the paediatric and maternal RSV immunization and our Children’s Hospital hosts a unique vaccination clinic for children and youth who need extra support.”
Vaccinations are currently available for Influenza (flu), COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Information regarding eligibility criteria is listed below. For most people, the benefits of receiving these vaccines significantly outweigh the risks, and in many cases, the vaccines can be given together.
“The vaccines designed to protect us from serious respiratory illness are free, in good supply and easy to access,” says Dr. Alex Summers, Medical Officer of Health for the Middlesex-London Heath Unit. “We’d like to see residents of all ages, but particularly those considered high-risk for severe illness, protected before we begin our seasonal gatherings.”
There have been more than 250 respiratory illness-related hospitalizations among adults and children in the region since the season began roughly 12 weeks ago. This number is expected to continue increasing through the fall and winter.
Available Vaccines at a Glance
Influenza (flu)
The Influenza (flu) vaccine is available for people six months and older. It is being administered in local primary care provider offices, walk-in clinics, pharmacies, long-term care and retirement homes. Certain individuals may be eligible to receive theirs through the MLHU’s Immunization Clinic.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 vaccine is available for people six months and older. It is being administered in pharmacies, local primary care provider offices, walk-in clinics, long-term care and retirement homes. Certain individuals may be eligible to receive theirs through the MLHU’s Immunization Clinic.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)
The RSV immunization is available for all infants born on or after January 1, 2024, children between 12 and 24 months who are considered high risk, adults aged 60 and up who are considered high risk, and all pregnant individuals who are between 32 and 36 weeks. It is being administered in local primary care provider offices. Certain individuals may be eligible to receive theirs through the MLHU’s Immunization Clinic, LHSC’s Obstetrical/Gynecology Ambulatory Clinic and Children’s Hospital’s RSV Immunization Clinic.
Children’s Hospital at LHSC also offers a unique vaccination clinic for children and youth who need extra support not typically available in traditional health-care or community vaccination settings. The clinic administers all OHIP-funded vaccines, including those for influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.
About Middlesex-London Health Unit
The Middlesex-London Health Unit is an integral part of the local health system, dedicated to protecting the health and well-being of nearly half a million residents in London and Middlesex County. We deliver important programs and services that focus on prevention, improving health outcomes, and address pressing health needs of our community. For more information, visit: https://www.healthunit.com/about-mlhu
About London Health Sciences Centre
With roots going back a century and a half, London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) is an award-winning, research-intensive acute tertiary and quaternary teaching hospital, one of only 14 such hospitals in Ontario. LHSC is also home to Children’s Hospital, one of just four acute tertiary care paediatric hospitals in the province. Our unique place in the health system positions us well to inform and advise on provincial, national and international health policy.
We are the cornerstone of care for many specialized programs and services in Western Ontario. And, as a major provider of emergency care and through our community hospital mission, we also care for the more than 400,000 people who call London home as well as many in surrounding communities. With Ontario’s health system continuing its transformation, LHSC has an opportunity to inform it and to place itself at the locus of the regionalized health system by virtue of its size, specialized capabilities, research and education capacity and its current regional footprint. LHSC’s formal relationship and strong bond with Western University provide a mechanism for collaboration to enable the delivery of high-quality care through a process of continuous learning and research.
At its core, the affiliation is a reciprocal relationship that leverages the learning, teaching and care environments of both Western University and LHSC. LHSC is a 15,000-person strong team of physicians, staff and volunteers – collaborators, innovators and pioneers, meeting the care needs of those we serve and charting a course for the future.