Flu peak seems over, but rates could still spike again
Calgary’s flu season isn’t over yet, the city’s medical officer of health says, as the latest numbers from Alberta Health Services show 1,897 confirmed cases of influenza A in the region so far.
Dr. Jia Hu said that while the number of Calgary cases peaked in November, it’s still possible for another rise in cases this season.
“I certainly hope we’ve passed the worst of flu season in Calgary,” Hu said. “The number of cases peaked in Calgary around mid-November and now they’re quite a bit lower.
“That being said, sometimes we can see … a peak early on but a peak later on, perhaps a different flu strain. It is a bit unpredictable, which is why it is very important for people to get the flu shot if they haven’t got it already.”
A weekly report released by AHS on Thursday indicates Edmonton has seen 885 cases, 1,082 cases have been recorded in the northern part of the province, 569 cases have been counted in the central zone, and just 269 cases have so far been recorded in the south zone.
A total of eight Calgarians with influenza have died. In Edmonton, there have been five deaths, the AHS central zone has seen six, and there has been one death recorded in the AHS north zone.
Hu said the prevalent flu strain this year has been H1N1, which has a higher risk to younger people.
“Any strain of flu can affect people of all ages and it can cause serious illness, including hospitalization,” Hu said. “H1N1 does tend to affect people who are a bit younger more, and so across the country we have seen more cases of severe illness in younger pediatric populations.”
As of Jan. 5, 507,028 doses of flu vaccine had been administered by AHS Public Health and pharmacists in Calgary. That’s the highest number across the province’s medical zones, with Edmonton following at 403,233 doses.
Hu noted that Calgary also has the highest population out of the AHS health zones.
“Every year we get about 30 per cent of people getting immunized, and to me that’s a very low number,” he said. “For other vaccines, immunization rates are 80, 90 per cent, so I’d love for people to get immunized more.”
Hu said the flu season can often last until the spring.