There are strong indications B.C. could be in for a bad flu season this year.
Australia is often considered the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for the province, and this winter, the folks down under set a record for infections, making one local doctor worried.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!Dr. Brian Conway, medical director at the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, tells 1130 NewsRadio that people sidestepping the shot played a big part in Australia’s rising numbers.
“We look to them for rates of cases, rates of hospitalization and also for the match between the vaccine that is being administered and the strains that are in circulation. It may give us a chance, if there’s a mismatch, to adjust the vaccine at the last minute,” said Conway.
But he confirmed the vaccine worked against the strain, only not enough people got it.
“This is not good. Vaccination rates have plummeted — at best, in those over age 65 across different states of Australia, they’re at 60 or 65 per cent. In young adults, who may not get severe disease but are the vectors of transmission, vaccination rates are below 30 per cent in the general population.”
Conway understands that some people mistrust vaccines, but he cautions against that thinking. Instead, he suggests people speak to a trusted medical expert.
“You don’t get vaccinated, you get the flu, people go to the hospital, and older Canadians, especially those with other medical conditions, can get sick or die or lose their independence. This is something that is completely avoidable. If you are vaccinated, the likelihood of getting infected is much lower. The likelihood of needing healthcare services is much lower. If you don’t get vaccinated, even if you’re a relatively healthy person, you could transmit it to people who are not so healthy, and they will need urgent care.”
Following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rates in B.C. dropped. Conway hopes the general public is past that sense of apathy.
“I think we’ve become complacent, and we have believed information about vaccines that is not verifiable. Vaccines have changed the world over two generations. We would like to be at a 50 per cent vaccination rate for the general population, 75 per cent or greater in those who are at highest risk, particularly people who are over the age of 65. They’re nowhere near that in Australia, so let’s think of ways we can meet these targets.”
Children as young as six months can get the flu shot.
Conway says this warning comes as a new strain of COVID-19 emerges, and cases of the measles continue to pile up in this province, in addition to an expected surge of RSV.
He stresses that while you consider getting the flu and COVID-19 booster, you should ask a medical professional what other vaccines you need updated.
The Ministry of Health tells 1130 NewsRadio it has ordered “sufficient supply” of the COVID-19 booster shot. Vaccines for both COVID-19 and the flu are expected to be available by mid-October. An exact date was not provided.