Manitoba's top doctor urges people to get flu shot amid late surge in influenza cases
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A late spike in flu cases is putting an increased strain on Manitoba's health-care facilities, the province's top doctor warns.
Dr. Brent Roussin, the chief provincial public health officer, urged people to get their flu shot amid a surge in influenza cases and low vaccination rates.
Provincial data shows cases of the Influenza A — the currently dominant strain — were still climbing higher as of two weeks ago, with a 27.12 per cent test positivity rate.
The uptick is happening later than during the past two seasons, which saw Influenza A cases begin dropping from peak highs around late December.
"We still haven't peaked in flu A," Roussin said. "Numbers are high, putting that increased strain on our ERs and hospitals."
Canada is currently seeing what may be the highest level of flu cases since 2020, with about 26.9 per cent of influenza tests being positive according to a federal government report.
'Not too late to get vaccinated'
Dr. Craig Jenne, an infectious diseases researcher who teaches at the University of Calgary, said the late rise may be due to a long cold snap driving up transmission in indoor spaces, though he added different waves come at different times every year.
"This is also in many parts of Canada coupled to a near-record-low vaccine rate," Jenne said. "Because of that, we do see a lot more flu cases and we see a lot of people unfortunately needing medical care in the hospitals."
In Manitoba, coverage for the flu shot dropped from 25.2 per cent last flu season to 23 per cent, according to provincial data. COVID-19 seasonal shot rates dropped from 19.1 per cent to 16 per cent.
"Even early childhood [vaccine rates] in a number of areas of Canada … have continued to decline," Jenne said.
A study published late last year looking at data from five jurisdictions — including Manitoba — found vaccination rates for children aged two to seven fell from 2019 to 2023.
"We are seeing now, unfortunately, the resurgence of not just the flu, but other viral diseases which … had really been largely eliminated from Canada," Jenne said, adding the situation is taking resources away from other areas of the health-care system.
"It's certainly not too late to get vaccinated," Dr. Roussin said.
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