Health IQ: Flu and COVID-19 vaccine combo, fall allergy season arrives

Are flu and COVID-19 shots safe to get at the same time?

In a few weeks, both the updated COVID-19 vaccine and the seasonal influenza shot will be available to all Canadians aged six months and older.

However, questions may arise: Can you receive both vaccines simultaneously, or would this potentially reduce their effectiveness or lead to increased side effects?

The decision to administer both vaccines at once is “patient-based,” explained Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician and associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton.

But he assured Canadians that getting the vaccines at the same time is perfectly safe and effective.

“Absolutely, you can get them together,” he said. “We have data about co-administration of flu and COVID vaccine suggesting there’s fairly significant safety and there’s no compromise in the efficacy of the vaccines.”

Chagla noted that one potential side effect of receiving both vaccines together is temporary soreness in the arms, which typically lasts for a day or two.

Read more about what to expect for this fall season’s COVID-19 and flu shots.

Fall allergy season arrives

As the crisp air ushers in the beauty of autumn, it also signals the start of a less welcome visitor: the fall allergy season.

Although Canada has seen a steady rise in overall pollen counts over the years, Daniel Coates, director of Aerobiology Research Laboratories, suggests this year allergy sufferers could see some reprieve.

Overall pollen counts have been increasing year over year nationally, but most parts of the country will likely see lower-than-normal levels in the fall during the weed season, he said.

Mould spores are another pesky fall allergen to watch for.

As the weather gets cooler and wetter and leaves start to fall, mould can trigger some people’s allergy symptoms.

“This is the time of year when a lot of people do experience mould-induced symptoms, particularly late in the fall,” said Dr. Anne Ellis, president of the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Western Canada, in particular, is seeing “moderate to high levels” of mould spores, which is more than usual for this time of the year, Coates said.

Read more of Saba Aziz’s article on how to protect yourself and relieve allergy symptoms.

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Why are wasps such a buzzkill?

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With the final days of warm weather in Canada, many are hoping to savour the remaining sunshine and relish outdoor activities. However, these plans can be easily disrupted by a persistent threat — the pesky wasp.

During the fall, wasp populations naturally surge, reaching their peak as colonies expand in size and their demand for food intensifies in preparation for the impending winter season.

As the wasp population grows, so does the risk of encountering their stings. But unlike honeybees, wasps possess the ability to deliver multiple stings since they do not leave their stingers behind.

“They start more aggressively looking around for other sources of food. And that’s when they get into kids’ pop drinks, they get into picnics, they get into barbecues — anywhere they can find any kind of food, particularly anything sweet or anything that’s meat or fish,” said Rob Currie, a professor of entomology at the University of Manitoba.

Whether or not there are more wasps flying around this season depends on where you live, he said.

Wasp populations ebb and flow every season, depending on factors such as temperature, food availability and the success of the previous year’s colonies, Currie explained.

For example, he said in Winnipeg it has been a very dry season, so the wasps have been particularly aggressive this year.

“That means that there’s less forage available, they’re seeking other sources more aggressively. So there’s probably some truth to that for most regions of Canada this year,” he added.