A big flu season is being forecast this winter and Richmond’s chief medical health officer is urging everyone, especially seniors, to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Dr. Meena Dawar told a packed media conference at the Richmond Public Health Office on Wednesday that early indications are the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) region could be a “heavy season” for flu outbreaks.
Before taking the flu shot herself for the cameras, Dawar said health professionals in the VCH region are expecting the most trouble this season from the H3N2 (Hong Kong) virus, which will apparently affect seniors, in particular.
But with almost 60,000 doses of the vaccine being distributed throughout Richmond this season, Dawar hopes everyone who wants to be vaccinated will receive one.
“This is our largest campaign (of the year) as influenza can be deadly,” said Dawar, adding that the leading cause of vaccine-preventable deaths in Canada is the flu.
“It’s early days in the flu season and it may change, but the early indications are is that it’s the strain that’s serious for seniors, so we would urge those people especially to get immunized.
“We’ve already seen outbreaks in seniors facilities; we’re seeing early activity in the long term care facilities.”
Those early indicators of a tough season ahead, added Dawar, are more the “flavour of the reports so far, rather than the number.”
In this year’s vaccine there are three strains of the flu, said Dawar, including AH1N1, influenza B (Brisbane) and H3N2 (Hong Kong).
“This vaccine has two new components compared to last year, the B strain and the H3N2 has changed, so they should be a good match for what is out there this year,” she said.
Asked if the World Health Organization (WHO), which decides on the vaccine strain to be distributed, had got the vaccine right this year, Dawar said the decision is taken six months ahead of time, “before we see what’s out there. It’s based on the strains that were out there last season and how they changed during the season.”
“I reviewed data for last 12 years and the only mismatch was two years ago; the vast majority of times the data that’s used leads to good protection.”
Despite not being recommended by health authorities in the U.S., a nasal spray vaccine for children is still good to go in Canada.
“We’ve been able to gather more information from beyond North America and we are confident it’s just as effective as the flu shot for children,” said Dawar.
Flu shots are free in B.C. for the likes of pregnant women, all children from six months to five, seniors, Aboriginal people and those with chronic health conditions, caregivers for seniors and parents of infants (see the full list below, via VCH).
For more information on flu clinics, go online to VCH.ca/flu.
Who can get a free seasonal flu shot?
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People 65 years and older and their caregivers/household contacts;
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Residents of nursing homes and other chronic care facilities;
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Children and adults with chronic health conditions, including obesity, and their household contacts;
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Children and adolescents (six months to 18 years) with conditions treated for long periods of time with acetylsalicylic acid, and their household contacts;
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Healthy children age six months to five years of age
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Household contacts and caregivers of infants age zero to 59 months;
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Aboriginal peoples (on and off reserve);
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All pregnant women and their household contacts;
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Health care and other care providers in facilities and community settings who are capable of transmitting influenza to those at high risk of influenza complications;
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People who provide essential services including first responders and correction officers;
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People who work with live poultry;
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People planning to visit loved ones in a health care facility or who will take family members to outpatient appointments are also eligible for a free flu shot.
