Mr. Muir noted that recent findings in the Second Report on the Health of Canadians showed that Nova Scotia has some of the highest rates of respiratory disease in the country.
Respiratory disease is one of many serious illnesses that can result from contracting the flu.
Scheduling immunizations regularly is a simple step to take to help prevent a serious and sometimes life-threatening illness. The health minister also noted that Nova Scotia tied with Ontario in 1996-97 for the highest rate for influenza immunization among seniors in the country at a rate of 60 per cent. The Department of Health recommends that adults and children who suffer from any chronic heart or lung problems, their families, and seniors 65 years of age and older have their yearly vaccine. It is also important for health care workers, particularly those working with the frail elderly, to get immunized annually. There have already been reported cases in Alberta, Quebec and Ontario.