What do I need to know about this year's flu shot?

Experts say it's almost time to roll up your sleeve for the annual flu shot. 

But this year, some pharmacists say people have questions about the influenza vaccine rollout, which will coincide with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines that target Omicron strains — also known as bivalent vaccines.

Ashley Davidson, a pharmacist and associate owner of Shoppers Drug Mart in St. Albert, Alta., has fielded a lot of questions.

"So many people are asking about flu shots and I think a lot of that conversation comes around how do they time their vaccines and what does that look like?" she told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's podcast The Dose. 

Here's what experts have to say about this year's flu vaccines. 

The number of flu cases this year could look a little different than what we've seen over the last few years.

"What has changed in the last two years is we had historical lows throughout the pandemic and we've now been in the time of uncertainty about when is it going to come back, what is it going to look like," said Dr. Robyn Harrison, vice-chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and infectious disease specialist, on Wednesday during a webinar on seasonal influenza.

An example of what could come is Australia's recent flu season, which happens before Canada's because it is in the southern hemisphere.

The country recently had its worst season in years, with data from Australia's Department of Health and Aged Care showing influenza infections were higher than the five-year average and infections notably spiked, then dropped, earlier than usual. 

Canadians also haven't had much exposure to flu over the last couple of years because of mask mandates and other public health measures introduced during the pandemic, Davidson said.

"One thing that stands out to me this year is that we won't have masks in schools. So that is going to increase the potential exposure for flu virus for children as well," she said. 

According to experts, influenza is a serious illness. Up until 2019, it is estimated that there are on average 12,000 hospital stays in Canada due to influenza every year, and about 3,500 deaths each year are caused by the flu, Harrison said.

Influenza is very contagious and spreads by respiratory droplets which cause an infection. Symptoms can vary but commonly include fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough, fatigue and muscle aches.

Experts say it's important to get a flu shot each year as vaccine-induced immunity does wane over time.