Calgary doctors say lack of access to primary care may be contribution to low flu vaccination rates in Alberta this season.
Influenza-related deaths refer to fatalities where flu was a contributing factor, but may not be the primary cause of death.
B.C. health officials are urging people to get vaccinated, warning the peak of the respiratory illness season is still yet to come.
Between Dec. 16 and 30, 2023, the province’s respiratory virus dashboard added 762 influenza hospitalizations, which included Albertans of all ages.
A third child has died in British Columbia due to complications linked to influenza, cases of which continue to rise in the province.
The BCCDC said Friday that levels of influenza and RSV were at their highest so far this year, and have reached peaks seen before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Holiday joy means potentially spreading the cold, flu, and COVID-19. And health experts caution Canadians to stay vigilant amid the festivities.
With a record number of influenza cases recorded in Alberta, experts are recommending people get their flu shots.
Kingston Health Sciences Centre says it is seeing 15 to 20 people daily at Kingston General Hospital with COVID-19 and that getting vaccinations will ease the pressure on KGH.
According to Statistics Canada, some 53 per cent of British Columbians over 65 are vaccinated against pneumonia — a far cry from Ottawa’s goal of 80 per cent vaccine coverage.