Don't let your guard down, keep washing your hands, and get a flu shot.
That's the message from Vancouver Coastal Health officials who continue to advise the public to protect themselves from the annual rise in influenza cases.
In the neighbouring Fraser Health Authority, a rise in flu cases in 19 long-term care facilities prompted a declaration of a health hazard Tuesday.
Currently, that's not the case here.
"The last couple of years we've had low influenza rates in Vancouver Coastal Health, and now we're up to an average year," said Anna Marie D'Angelo, spokesperson for VCH, which is responsible for health care from Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast.
But officials have not ruled out the possibility of a spike in the number of cases.
The best way to try and not become a statistics is to get a flu shot and remember that frequent washing of your hands, and not touching your face, are effective ways of limiting spread of the illness.
But if all this fails and you find yourself sick with the flu, Coastal Health advises staying home from work to decrease the likelihood of spreading it to others.
Information about flu shots and tips about limiting the spread of the flu can be found at vch.ca.
