A group of Alberta doctors is trying to convince their colleagues to get a flu shot this year.
Flu shots are not mandatory in Alberta and for health care workers it’s a personal choice whether they get the shot or not.
Last flu season, just over half of all health care workers in Alberta received a flu shot and some think that number is too low.
Dr. Chip Doig is an intensive care specialist and is part of the campaign to get more doctors to get the flu shot.
“I see healthy individuals, prime of their life, young strong adults, individuals my age, individuals a bit older than I am, who end up in the ICU on a ventilator in severe, severe compromised states with organ failure,” said Dr. Doig.
Both Saskatchewan and B.C. have introduced an ‘immunize or mask ‘policy for health care workers.
Some doctors in Alberta say wearing a mask is just not practical and that the shot makes more sense.
“Things like wearing a mask, you can only wear a mask, a single mask, like a surgical mask, after about 30 minutes of wearing it, it get too moist from the breath in and out. It’s no longer effective so you have to be changing it and then changing gowns and changing gloves and doing that on a regular basis is just not practical to be doing that throughout an entire season that can go on for many weeks,” said Dr. Jim Kellner, Infectious Disease Specialist.
Alberta Health Services says it would like to see 80 percent of staff get the vaccination.
Health care workers in the province already have access to the shot and public flu shot clinics open October 20th.
Click HERE for this year's immunization clinic schedule.
(With files from Karen Owen)
