News

You make healthy lifestyle choices and you well control your disease. But did you know that your disease can make you more susceptible to other infections, including some respiratory infections? If you have a kidney disease, you should be vaccinated against Flu and Pneumococcus. 

Because of your health condition, complications from these infections can have serious health consequences, such as respiratory difficulties, pneumonia or even death. Treatment of these complications may require a hospital stay of several days, even weeks, resulting in a loss of autonomy in some cases. 

In the current context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible that several respiratory viruses may circulate at the same time this fall. Even if no vaccine is currently available against COVID-19, you can still protect yourself against other respiratory infections. Vaccination is the best way to put all the chances on your side by protecting yourself against pneumococcal infections and flu!

In Québec, flu vaccine is offered free of charge to people who have a chronic disease, such as kidney disease, people aged 75 and over, as well as their informal caregivers and people living in the same household. If you have never been vaccinated against pneumococcal infections, ask for the pneumococcal vaccine when you get your flu shot. Adults usually only need a single dose of the vaccine in their lifetime to be protected.

For more information, contact your CLSC, your doctor, or your pharmacist, or visit the Quebec governement website quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/pneumococcal-infections/.


Vaccination, the best protection!