It's here! The annual flu shot campaign kicks off today and this year it comes with a twist.
For every flu shot a UHN staff member receives, UHN will donate one shot of vaccine to a child in need through UNICEF Canada.
Choose prevention -- protect yourself, your loved ones, our patients and vulnerable children around the world.
How can I participate?
It's simple -- roll up your sleeves and get a flu shot. Here are the schedules for the flu carts at each site:
To show us you're on board to get a flu shot and give a vaccine, you can take a selfie getting the flu shot. Post it to Twitter with the hashtag '#UHNFluVaccineSelfie' and tag @UHN_News. If you don't have Twitter, email us the photo at
social@uhn.ca and we'll tweet your selfie for you!
On top of that, every staff member who chooses prevention and receives a flu vaccination will be able to submit their name to be part of a weekly prize drawn at each hospital site for every week of the six-week campaign. You will need to show a UHN employee badge to get a ballot for the draw. Physicians, volunteers and UHN employees are eligible for the draw.
As in past years, each staff member who receives a flu vaccine will also receive a chocolate bar.
Staff who wish to have their influenza vaccination somewhere other than at UHN may do so and still get the chocolate bar and qualify for the weekly draws. Bring in the document linked below or other proof of vaccination to any of the flu carts or OH&S clinics and you will be given a chocolate bar and a ballot to enter our weekly draw for $150 gift certificates to Cadillac Fairview Malls.
So what are you waiting for?
Influenza is one of the top 10 infectious diseases in Ontario. While most healthy adults feel miserable for a few days, for some people, influenza can be serious or life-threatening. Those most at risk include:
- adults age 65 and over,
- residents of long-term care facilities,
- pregnant women,
- children under the age of five,
- people who are obese,
- people who are immune-compromised, and,
- people with chronic medical conditions, including asthma, heart disease, and diabetes, among others.
Each year in Ontario, influenza and its complications are estimated to cause up to 1,000 hospitalizations and 1,600 deaths. Complications include pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinus and ear infections. Influenza infection can also make chronic conditions, such as asthma, worse.
This year, choosing the flu vaccination will help you protect those around you, and will allow a child in need to receive a vaccination.
Choose prevention -- let's go shot for shot, UHN!
Related Links
