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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday April 4, 2007 - 5 Region dispensed fewer flu shots By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Two Inches The Halton Region Health Department saw a 21 per cent decrease in the number of people who received the flu shot at its clinics this season. According to the Region, about 20,000 doses of influenza vaccine were administered at its clinics between November and January, while the previous year a little more than 25,000 people received the shot. Kathy Blake, Halton's supervisor for communicable disease control services, said there are a couple of things that contributed to the drop in numbers. "The vaccine became available later than usual, so the `snowbirds' may have already left for the season," she said. "I think that's a pretty large factor." She also said that there's been a fairly substantial increase in flu shot clinics being offered through other agencies such as pharmacies. In addition, the late arrival of the influenza vaccine may have played a role in the low number of hospital and long-term care home workers who received the flu shot this season, Blake said. At the three Halton Healthcare Services (HHS) sites in Milton, Oakville and Georgetown, only 47 per cent of staff got the shot, while Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington saw 58 per cent of its employees immunized, down from last season's 63 per cent. Since it's the first season the three HHS hospitals have come under one umbrella, the health department doesn't have numbers from 2005 for comparison. The average immunization rate amongst Halton's long-term care homes was 74 per cent, down from last season's average of 76 per cent. According to Blake, there are other factors that play into healthcare workers' low flu shot numbers besides the late vaccine arrival. "Some staff continue to hold the belief that because they don't get sick with the flu, they don't need the flu shot," she said. 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