Ford tells Ontarians to get their flu shot

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Premier Doug Ford says his best advice for getting through the holiday season is to get a flu shot.

The presence of influenza, Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID-19 are all circulating in Ontario and filling up child intensive care beds.

“Go out and get your flu shot,” Ford said Monday, when asked about how to get through the season. “That’s the most important.”

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Ontario doesn’t release data on flu vaccine uptake until the end of the season but prior to the pandemic was about 30%.

“In 2020-21, usage increased above 30%, but dropped back to approximately 30% for the 2021/22 season,” a spokesperson for the Ontario Health Ministry said.

Ontario offers a free flu shot to residents aged six months and older.

NDP Interim Leader Peter Tabuns and NDP Health Critic France Gelinas called on the Ford government Monday to bring back the Ontario Legislature to address the health care crisis, noting Ornge air ambulance has reported a significant increase in patients under the age of 18 with more than 544 kids transported between Oct. 1 and Dec. 2.

“Doug Ford should not be closing down the legislature when critically ill children are being flown all over the province in search of an empty ICU bed,” Tabuns said in a statement. “It’s scary to have a sick child and no hospital nearby with capacity to help, and it would be unthinkable to let this crisis go unanswered by the government for weeks and months over the winter as viruses circulate.”

aartuso@postmedia.com