Area pharmacies prepared for seasonal vaccinations

Treacy McIntyre of Roulstons Pharmacy administers a seasonal vaccine to customer Dan Cotnam. Shoppers Drug Mart and Cowards PharmaChoice also administer seasonal and travel vaccines. (Jeff Helsdon photo)

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The changes in seasons brings with it all varieties of viruses and illnesses associated with people spend more time inside in conditions often ideal for the transmission of bugs.

Vaccinations are one defence against many common ailments, and one common question for pharmacists is what is publicly funded, and what isn’t.

David Lopes, pharmacist/owner at Roulstons Pharmacy, hears this question all the time, along with the additional question of whether the person should go to the doctor for a shot or to the pharmacy.

Flu and COVID shots are the main vaccines delivered through pharmacies, and are publicly funded. Lopes said others can be injected at the pharmacy, as well. As researchers discover more about viral illnesses, he said they are finding the importance of vaccines for seniors.

Roulstons is open daily for vaccine administration, with both standard and high-dose flu shots, as well as Covid vaccines. Covid shots are only administered on Wednesdays and Fridays. Injections are by appointment through www.roulstons.com or by calling the store.

Coward’s PharmaChoice has a pharmacist available to administer vaccinations between 9 a.m. and noon, and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. It is available on a walk-in basis only.

“Usually it’s crazy-busy the first two weeks, and then it slows down at the end of November,” said Samuel Ibrahim, owner/pharmacist.

Shoppers Drug Mart has had a steady flow of customers seeking vaccines since Thanksgiving, and the new care clinic has helped make shoppers in-store aware it’s vaccine time.

“The demand has gone down a little bit but it’s still steady,” said Megan Kelly, pharmacy manager, in late November.

Vaccines are available at Shoppers from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Both online booking and walk-in service are available.

“A lot of people may not think ahead and they’re here and think they should get their shot while they’re here,” Kelly said, adding the Tillsonburg location also has several doses of high-dose flu vaccination.

One vaccine that has come into the spotlight in recent years is the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine, which requires a prescription from a health care provider but can then be administered at a pharmacy. It is publicly funded for seniors over 75, but Lopes said it is warranted for people over 60.

“Those over 60 who have private coverage get a prescription from their primary health care provider and come to the pharmacy,” he said.

A prescription is also needed for the pneumonia vaccine, which can then be administered at a pharmacy.

Shingles vaccine is publicly funded, but only for people between the ages of 65 and 70. It is administered in the doctor’s office.

Travel vaccines

Winter is also the time when many Canadians escape to warmer climates. Some of these locations pose a heightened risk of contracting Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, cholera, typhoid, and other diseases and viruses.

Both Roulstons and Shoppers have travel vaccine clinics where a person can write the necessary prescriptions for the vaccines. There is a consultation fee at both pharmacies. Coward’s does not have a travel clinic, but can administer vaccines if the doctor provides a prescription.

OHIP won’t cover the cost of travel vaccines, but some private insurance plans will. In some instances, there is a charge for administering the vaccine.

Kelly noted that some customers also pack their suitcases with a dose of antibiotics in case they contract a stomach virus while travelling.