The following immunizations should be up to date:
We recommend the flu shot on an annual basis.
Immunization against Hepatitis B and COVID-19 is a requirement for employment with Circle of Care.
EXPOSURE
Influenza is a virus that infects the respiratory tract. Influenza symptoms start 1-4 days after viral exposure, and include a runny/stuffy nose, cough, fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Most people with influenza recover, but an average of 2,000 Canadians die every year from influenza and its complications, making influenza the most common infectious disease cause of death in Canada. Between 5 and 10% of healthcare workers get influenza each year.
Influenza can cause both upper and lower respiratory illness. Symptoms of upper respiratory illness include runny/stuffy nose, cough, sore throat, fever, muscle aches, and fatigue. Symptoms of lower respiratory tract disease including cough, shortness of breath and wheezing.
Older adults, and those with chronic illnesses, are less likely to have high fever or cough, so can present with just feeling unwell or shortness of breath. Because many other viruses also cause these symptoms, the only way to tell for certain if someone has influenza is to take a nasal swab and test it (looking for influenza RNA).The factors that make influenza more likely are:
Influenza is spread by direct contact, like touching someone’s shoulder, and by small airborne droplets expelled when we breathe, talk, sneeze or cough. Although most experts believe that influenza is most frequently spread by droplets, improving hand hygiene can prevent up to 50% of influenza. This may be because droplets can land on your hands, and then (often unconsciously) you touch your face. Because influenza vaccine is not 100% effective, additional precautions are required to care for patients infected with influenza. They are called droplet/contact precautions, and include gloves and face protection (either a face shield or goggles and a surgical mask) whenever you enter the room.
