Vaccinations at a Calgary pharmacy

Routine vaccination teaches your immune system to recognise an infection before it meets it. What you need shifts with age, health conditions, work, pregnancy, travel and what you have already had — which is why it is worth asking rather than assuming.

We give flu, COVID-19, shingles, RSV, pneumonia and HPV vaccines. Stock moves, so if you need a specific one on a specific day, call the store first and save yourself the trip.

Tell us about allergies, anything you have reacted to before, whether you are unwell today and any condition that might change the decision. Bring your vaccination record if you have one — it saves guessing at what you have had.

Afterwards, a sore arm, redness or a little swelling is normal and passes. We will tell you what is expected and what would be worth a phone call.

Flu shots usually start in October in Alberta and run through the season. Walk in or book. The flu shot page covers timing and what happens at the visit in more detail.

The vaccine changes every year, so a shot from last season does not count for this one. Ask us and we will tell you whether you are due.

Travel vaccination starts with where you are going, when, and what kind of trip it is. In a travel consultation the pharmacist works through your route, your vaccination history and what your destination actually calls for.

We carry the travel list: yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal and Tdap — plus travel prescriptions such as malaria prevention. Both our NW stores are designated yellow fever centres on the federal list.

Walk in for a routine or seasonal shot when you already know what you want. Book the travel clinic when the answer depends on a destination, when you need several vaccines, or when a travel prescription is involved — that visit is longer for a reason.

Not sure? Call any store, tell the pharmacist where you are going or what you think you need, and they will put you in the right one.

We are at 20 Ave NW, Royal Vista NW and Lynnwood SE. Current addresses, phone numbers and hours are on the locations page. Walk in for routine care or book a time online.

For travel, book early enough to finish any multi-dose course before you fly. If your trip is soon, come anyway — there is usually still something worth doing.