/R E P E A T -- Media Advisory - Celebrating National Seniors Day with a two-storey, interactive photo exhibit/

Celebrating National Seniors Day with a domino-inspired photo exhibit

TORONTO, Sept. 26, 2019 /CNW/ - This flu season, Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of Sanofi, is celebrating seniors and raising awareness of the burden of flu, the domino effect it has on their lives, and the importance of protecting them and keeping them active, healthy and independent by celebrating senior loved ones on National Seniors Day.

The flu is often seen as just a bad cold, but Canada sees an average of 12,200 flu-related hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths each year, with seniors accounting for up to 70 per cent of these hospitalizations and up to 91 per cent of deaths between 2013 and 2018. ^{1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

Unfortunately, these numbers do not tell the full story. The flu can rob older adults of their health and independence, changing their lives irrevocably.

What: Join us to experience an interactive domino-inspired photo exhibit "Pillars of Strength" that features compelling images of seniors from across the country.

Who: Hear from Hon. Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, MPP Daisy Wai, Office of Seniors and Accessibility, and Canada's largest advocacy association for older Canadians, CARP.

A ribbon cutting ceremony will officially open the photo exhibit, with photo opportunities available throughout the event.

Spokespeople will also be available for interviews, including:

• Marissa Lennox, Chief Policy Officer at CARP, who can share insights into the devastating domino effect that a loss of independence can have on seniors and their families
• Dr. John Muscedere, Scientific Director of Canadian Frailty Network, who can speak about how seniors can prepare and better protect themselves for the upcoming flu season

When: Tuesday, October 1, 2019, from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Doors open at 11 a.m.

Where: Richmond-Adelaide Centre, 130 Adelaide St. West, Toronto

For any questions, or to set up an interview, please contact Diana Robson at 416-969-2815 or at [email protected]

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¹ Schanzer, D.L., Sevenhuysen, C., Winchester, B., & Mersereau, T. (2013). Estimating influenza deaths in Canada,1992-2009. PloS ONE, 8(11), e80481. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080481
² Government of Canada. FluWatch. August 11-24, 2013. Retrieved from: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2013/aspc-phac/HP58-1-2013-34-eng.pdf
³ Government of Canada. FluWatch. August 10-23, 2014. Retrieved from: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/aspc-phac/HP58-1-2014-34-eng.pdf
⁴ Government of Canada. FluWatch. August 16-29, 2015. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/images/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch-2014-2015/fluwatch-2014-2015-34-surveillance-influenza/alt/fluwatch-2014-2015-34-surveillance-influenza-eng.pdf
⁵ Government of Canada. FluWatch. August 14-27, 2016. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/health-canada/documents/services/publications/diseases/fluwatch/2015-2016/fluwatch-2015-2016-33-34-surveillance-influenza-eng.pdf
⁶ Government of Canada. FluWatch. August 20-26, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/public-health/services/publications/science-research-data/canadian-nosocomial-infection-summary/cnisp-aro-2011-2015%20report-final-en.pdf
⁷ Government of Canada. FluWatch. July 22 – August 25, 2018. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/phac-aspc/documents/services/publications/diseases-conditions/fluwatch/2017-2018/week30-34-july-22-august-25-2018/pub-eng.pdf

SOURCE Sanofi Pasteur