Trust the experts and get your flu shot
Tekla Hunter doesn’t just blindly trust health authorities; but neither does she do her “own research”; instead, she consults experts in the field.
“I know what I am an expert in, and I know what I’m not an expert in,” she smiled. “And I am not an expert in vaccines.”
Tekla has always received a flu shot, she explained. At first, she took it on faith that it was the right thing to do. Then when she started to have questions, she spoke to her physician.
“I have had some critical conversations with my physician, who is an expert,” she said, “and I am now even more confident in my choice to get my flu vaccine every year. I know, thanks to those conversations, that the best choice for me and my family is to be vaccinated.”
She receives her flu vaccine annually because she believes in science, she noted.
“My doctor discusses with me the risks and benefits, and I heed her knowledgeable advice that getting the flu shot is a wise decision.”
Her family also factors into her decision to be vaccinated.
“As a wife and mother, it is crucial that I take care of myself so I can effectively take care of my loved ones,” she said.
The 36-year-old mother of two recently moved to a small village in rural Saskatchewan from Saskatoon, as she and her husband were looking for a small-town experience for themselves and their kids.
“Both my husband and I are from small towns. I grew up watching my parents volunteering in our community, and that’s my driver now as an adult,” she explained.
“I get the flu shot to protect myself and in turn my family and my community; it's the socially responsible thing to do.”
Tekla has been a Patient and Family Partner for the Saskatchewan Health Authority for just over a year and is a member of the Saskatoon Early Years Family Resource Centre’s Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the SHA strategic planning committee.
To find out where you can get your flu shot, book an appointment, and access other information about influenza, visit 4flu.ca.
