COVID-19 info for Albertans

• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and help prevent you from getting infected and protect you from getting severely sick if you do get it.
• Albertans 6 months and older can get vaccinated now.
• Albertans 12 and older can get a third dose 5 months after their second dose to boost immunity.
• Bivalent vaccine boosters for adults 18+ will be available September 21. The bivalent vaccine triggers a stronger immune response and provides additional protection against both Omicron and the original SARS-CoV-2 virus strain.
• Working Albertans can access 3 hours of paid, job-protected leave to get each dose of the vaccine.

Learn more: Vaccines, boosters and records with QR codes

Why get an influenza vaccine

An influenza vaccine (flu shot) won’t prevent COVID-19 but it will reduce your chances of getting sick with influenza (flu) or spreading it to others.

All Albertans 6 months and older are encouraged to get an influenza vaccine. It’s especially important for seniors, pregnant women, Indigenous people and people with chronic health conditions as they have a higher risk of severe complications.

By keeping influenza counts low, we can:

• help prevent people from being infected with COVID-19 and influenza at the same time
• make sure our health-care system has capacity to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic
• let health-care workers focus on treating people with other illnesses and injuries
• reduce outbreaks in care facilities

The vaccine is available free of charge starting October 18.

Where to get an influenza vaccine

• Alberta Health Services (AHS) public health clinics/sites for individuals 6 months to 4 years (and their families).
• Some doctors’ offices for individuals 6 months old and older.
• Participating pharmacies if 5 years old or older.

How to book an appointment

• Book an influenza vaccine appointment online.
• Phone Health Link at 811 for help booking multiple appointments for children and family members.
• Check if your community pharmacy is offering drop-in appointments.
• Phone your physician’s office to see if they’re offering influenza vaccine appointments.

How to get vaccinated safely

• Stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19, isolate and complete the AHS online assessment.
• Follow safety protocols: wear a mask, wash your hands, stay 2 metres apart when possible.
• Make an appointment at your pharmacy, physician clinic or public health site and arrive as close to the appointment time as you can.
• Fill out forms online when possible.

Staff and volunteers at clinics and venues offering influenza vaccination must follow their employer’s policies for COVID-19 screening.

• Influenza and COVID-19 Immunization: Guidance for the 2021-22 season

Stay home if sick

• COVID-19 symptoms are similar to influenza and other respiratory illnesses and can range from mild to severe. Even people with mild symptoms can spread COVID-19 to others.
• It is recommended to isolate if you test positive or have symptoms not related to a pre-existing condition.

Practice good hygiene

• In addition to getting vaccinated and staying home when sick, practicing good hygiene habits can protect you and those around you from spreading COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses:
  • stay home if you are feeling sick
  • wash or sanitize your hands often
  • cover your coughs and sneezes
  • avoid touching your face

It is recommended to isolate if you test positive or have symptoms not related to a pre-existing condition.

COVID-19 is transmitted though tiny droplets of liquid produced by people who have the virus. The virus spreads by:

• breathing in air that contains infected droplets from people coughing, sneezing, talking, laughing, and singing
• touching objects or surfaces the virus has landed on and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth (bath towels, kitchen utensils, door knobs, etc.)

People who have COVID-19 can spread it to others before they start to feel sick.

COVID-19 does not appear to regularly transmit like measles through long-range transmission, but there are circumstances that raise the risk of aerosol transmission, such as crowded or poorly ventilated indoor spaces where people are engaging in activities like singing or high intensity exercise. Individuals and businesses should apply mitigation strategies where these risks exist.

We think the virus generally only survives for a few hours on a surface or object, but it may be possible for it to survive several days under some conditions.

Variants of concern spread more easily than the original COVID-19 strain, which could result in more severe illness, hospitalizations and deaths.

Alberta is monitoring for variants of concern. The B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant is the dominant strain in our province.

Symptoms in variant cases are so far reported to be the same as the original virus, including cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, and sore throat.

Learn more about COVID-19 variants