Alright. I'm seeing a lot of reaction and questions re: today's announcement from @fordnation re: the #flushot. Let's talk about it. https://twitter.com/robertbenzie/status/1308452297412956165

1) 'Why is the #flushot a top priority in their pandemic response?'

It's early September and we're already stretched beyond our testing capacity, before flu season has started. Symptoms for flu and COVID are similar, and fewer flu cases means fewer people needing COVID tests.

2) 'What does the flu have to do with #COVID19?'

They're 2 different *serious* respiratory illnesses. Early this year we heard a lot of 'just a flu' or '*not* just a flu'. Please forget this phrase. Flu kills ~3500 Canadians each year. We don't know what both together are like.

3) 'Does the #flushot help with #COVID19?'

The quadrivalent #flushot protects against four strains of influenza. COVID-19 is a coronavirus. The flu shot will not prevent COVID-19, but it will help protect you from another respiratory illness, and that's vital during a pandemic.

4) 'Why would the #flushot be part of pandemic response?'

Every flu season our hospitals are overburdened by seasonal flu. ~5000 flu hospitalizations in Ontario means 5000 beds filled with preventable illness, instead of being available for other needs - like #COVID19.

5) 'Why did they order 5.1 million flu shots for 14.7 million people?'

Dear Ontarians,

We do not get the #flushot at the rate we should be to protect ourselves and each other, and it's costing us people's lives. That's what that order represents. We need to do better.

Let me be clear: the #flushot is not the answer to our #COVID19 problem. The pandemic is an urgent concern and our current trajectory is dangerous. The flu shot is a vital measure we should all take to save thousands of lives every year. We can do better. #forjudeforeveryone

6) ‘Do I need a #flushot with everything we’re doing to prevent #COVID19?’

We may have lower rates because of the work we’re doing to protect ourselves and each other, but no one measure is a guarantee and every step helps. We still see COVID spreading. Please get a #flushot.