The Olds Grizzlys and Alberta Health Services (AHS) are partnering to encourage residents to get flu shots to avoid getting influenza this season.
The Grizzlys and AHS held a news conference on the partnership at the Sportsplex this past Monday.
Each year, influenza causes more emergency department visits than heart attacks and strokes, not to mention significant downtime from work and leisure activities.
"We would like everyone to stay healthy this holiday season," Dr. Mohammed Mosli, medical officer of health central zone, said in a news release. "We have seen 230 confirmed cases of influenza in central zone already this season. Without immunization, everyone is at risk."
AHS offers free flu vaccinations to all Albertans six months of age and older. The vaccine is available at hundreds of AHS public influenza immunization clinics, as well as at many pharmacies and physician's offices around the province.
Grizzlys captain Chase Olsen said he and his teammates recognize the risk, so they're urging each other as well as fans and community residents as a whole to get the shot.
"We come in contact with so many other players on other teams, the fans, the community members out volunteering, so we want to make sure that we're keeping ourselves and everybody else around us healthy by getting the flu shot," Olsen said. "We don't want it to be spreading around too much."
"(We need) to make sure everybody's doing their part. It's not just individuals that should be doing it, it's the whole community together," he added.
"(We need) to make sure everybody's doing their part. It's not just individuals that should be doing it, it's the whole community together."CHASE OLSEN CAPTAIN OLDS GRIZZLYS
