The federal flu surveillance report from Oct. 30 to Nov. 5, released Monday, said “Nationwide, flu activity has exceeded the seasonal threshold, indicating the beginning of an influenza epidemic.” “We are very concerned,” said Dr. Jana Davidson, chief medical officer at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. “Emergency room presentations are up 20 percent year over year.” On Monday in Ontario, that province’s chief medical officer recommended that Ontarians wear masks in all public places, including schools and daycare centers, as the health care system is strained by the triple threat of COVID-19 infections, a increase respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza. Some hospitals have delayed surgeries to deal with young patients in emergency departments. In Vancouver, Erin Millar said she had to rush to BC Children’s Hospital with her six-year-old daughter last weekend because she was having trouble breathing due to a respiratory illness. She said she was grateful for the care her daughter received, but the hospital seemed overwhelmed with similar patients lining up to enter the emergency room. “The place was just packed,” said Millar, who ended up staying three nights at the hospital with her daughter, who had been vaccinated for COVID-19 and the flu. Why is the under-12 vaccination rate still so low? My kids got COVID boosters and a flu shot and when I told the nurses this, they were pleasantly surprised. Why do so many parents not vaccinate their children? —@erinmillar He said staff were trying to keep up with the demands of treating other sick children. Her daughter has since recovered. “Thank you to the healthcare workers. They clearly did the best they could in a terrible situation.” Health experts like Davidson say young people, especially infants and toddlers, are especially at risk from the flu as the flu season has been suppressed for two years due to precautions taken to prevent COVID-19 infections. For some people, this season is the first time they’ve been exposed to something like the flu.
“Strengthening our vaccine campaign”
On Monday, BC Health Minister Adrian Dix said the respiratory disease situation in Ontario was more serious than it was currently experiencing. Dix said pediatric urgent care beds in the province were at about 70 per cent capacity overall and hospital visits for things like the flu were still within a normal range. His office said the only neonatal ICU over capacity is at Kelowna General Hospital, which has six beds. Eleven patients have been admitted. He said the province will not change any of the coverage rules for now. In BC, wearing a mask in public indoor spaces is not required by public health and is a personal choice. Masks are required in all healthcare settings, such as vaccine clinics and hospitals. “The message is the same … especially if you have any form of respiratory illness, even a mild cold, to wear a mask, especially among vulnerable people,” Dix said.
Flu shots up
Dix said Monday that the province surpassed one million people who had received a flu shot so far. He said that’s double the amount compared to this time last year. “We started earlier. The campaign is going quite well,” he said. “We just have to keep making that progress.” Dr. Brian Conway, with the Vancouver Center for Infectious Diseases, emphasized the importance of ensuring that anyone who can get a flu shot and a COVID-19 shot gets one, as vaccines are the best defense against serious illness. “We should really step up our vaccine campaign, make sure that everyone gets their COVID shots, their flu shots, that people stay home if they’re sick, and that as part of those interventions, we see the masks as an additional layer of protection should be used. as required.”
