Alberta Health Services
Health Information
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Influenza, sometimes called the flu, is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs that is caused by a virus. Influenza is a respiratory illness.
Each year around the world, influenza makes 3 to 5 million people seriously ill and causes 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.
In Canada, influenza and pneumonia together are among the top 10 leading causes of death, and influenza causes about 15,000 hospital stays each year.
Learn more about influenza.
Everyone is at risk of influenza. The time when people are at greatest risk is called influenza season, which usually starts in late fall and lasts through the winter.
Influenza can make you very sick and lead to other health problems, especially if:
Influenza can spread in the following ways:
You can spread influenza before symptoms start.
Symptoms start suddenly and may include:
Other symptoms may include feeling sick to your stomach (nausea), vomiting (throwing up), or having loose stool (diarrhea). These are more common in young children. Learn what to do and how to care for yourself if you have symptoms of a respiratory illness.
In some cases, influenza can lead to a lung infection (pneumonia) or make other health problems worse. Even healthy, young people can get very sick or die from influenza. Learn more about health problems from influenza.
Most people can treat influenza symptoms at home. Home treatment includes resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and taking medicine to lower your fever.
Some people need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Everyone in Alberta age 6 months and older is encouraged to get the influenza vaccine each year.
The influenza vaccine is offered free of charge in Alberta every year starting in mid to late October. The best time to get the vaccine is October or November.
There are many types of influenza vaccines. Every year, Alberta looks at information about influenza to decide which vaccines to offer.
You need to get the vaccine every year because influenza viruses change. A new vaccine is made each year to protect against the influenza viruses most likely to cause illness in that year.
Learn more about the influenza vaccine.
HEALTH PROFESIONALS Visit Influenza Immunization Information for Health Professionals for resources to implement a safe and effective influenza immunization program.
Get the influenza vaccine every year.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unclean hands.
Wash your hands using warm water and soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer often.
Cover your cough or sneeze into your arm or a tissue, not your hand.
Stay home when you are sick.
If you are pregnant and get influenza, you have a higher risk of serious health problems and needing treatment in the hospital.
The illness could also cause loss of a baby during pregnancy (miscarriage or stillbirth) or cause a baby to be born too soon (premature birth).
The influenza vaccine is recommended when you are pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
Getting the influenza vaccine when you are pregnant has many benefits:
Learn more about influenza vaccine, pregnancy, and breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
