In the wake of a serious spike in influenza cases and climbing hospitalizations across the province, top docs in the region are echoing the call for Northumberland residents to get vaccinated, stressing it’s not too late.
“I mean … the bottom line is that we would like to remind people that it is not too late to get your flu vaccine,” Dr. Natalie Bocking, deputy medical officer of health for the newly amalgamated Lakelands Public Health, told MBC. “We’re aware of information circulating saying that it’s not worth it to get the flu vaccine this year or that it’s not going to work.
“And we’d like to reiterate that absolutely – 100 per cent – we’re still encouraging people to get their flu vaccine.”
Like other healthcare leaders – including Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, and others cited later in this article – Bocking said vaccination provides layers of protection, including for individuals, at-risk populations and communities, as well as helps alleviate pressure on already overburdened healthcare systems. She said the vaccine also remains the best defence against severe illness, hospitalization and additional complications, even if it isn’t a “perfect match” for circulating strains (which we delve more into below.)
This latest call also comes after the deaths of three children in the Eastern Ontario and Ottawa areas earlier this month due to reported influenza A-related complications.
In terms of how this influenza season is shaping up, there are already some concerning numbers.
“Now our data is less accurate since COVID because influenza didn’t happen for a couple of years during (the) COVID-19 pandemic – but when we’re comparing (the data) to last year, we are seeing an earlier rise in hospital admissions and some serious cases of influenza,” explained Bocking.
Key data points for public health to follow influenza activity include lab positivity, which Bocking delves into below, including local percentages.
Meanwhile, at press deadline, lab positivity overall for the province was being reported at greater than 20-25 per cent, and then there are other regions in Ontario experiencing very high positivity, closer to 35 per cent, noted Bocking.
“We know that hospital admissions have started to increase significantly,” added Bocking.
And there has been a change this year.
Typically, in respiratory season, it’s a combination of different viruses – influenza, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and COVID – and often, like last year, it was a combination of these viruses driving hospital admissions to increase in December, explained Bocking.
This isn’t the case this year so far, with the increase in hospital admissions largely being attributed to influenza, noted the doc.
Earlier this week, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) also issued a similar message where Anthony Dale, president and CEO, described a serious rise in influenza cases provincewide and detailed staggering hospitalization-related figures.
In response to the surge, the OHA also urged all eligible Ontarians to take steps to protect themselves and loved ones by getting vaccinated as soon as possible.
Dale pointed to hospital data last week showing that the daily number of confirmed patients with the flu was up by 150 per cent. Meanwhile, data also reportedly showed hospital admissions up by 84 per cent, and the number of newly confirmed admissions to intensive care units (ICU) increased by 127 per cent.
“Influenza A positivity is now higher than any of the last three seasons, with increases across all age groups,” said Dale.
Just prior to this at the start of this week, medical officers of health in the Eastern Ontario and Ottawa areas warned of a “rapid and significant rise” in influenza A across Ontario.
In their statement, officials also said that in the first two weeks of December three children between the ages of five and nine died from influenza A-related complications in that region, calling it a stark reminder that the flu can lead to severe illness and complications requiring hospital care.
Again, officials urged everyone six months and older to get their jabs as soon as possible and consider that the vaccine also takes about two weeks to reach full effectiveness. Such protection is also critical during the busy holiday season where there is traditionally increased circulation of the virus, reiterated officials.
“Vaccination is especially important this season for children due to the rise in severe illness. Parents and caregivers can help protect children by being vaccinated themselves,” reads the statement.
Meanwhile, back on Dec. 3, the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario – more commonly known as CHEO – already reported “a concerning rise in flu cases at CHEO,” leading to a significant increase in the number of kids turning to the emergency department (ED) since the start of cold and flu season and many of these kids needing hospitalization due to the flu.
In November, CHEO also said it saw eight times more kids test positive for influenza compared to the same month last year – and double the number of kids hospitalized with the flu.
CHEO’s ED also reported that most kids seeking care had not had their flu shots.
Again, this prompted a public plea from CHEO to all ages to ensure their vaccinations are up-to-date to support individual communities and healthcare partners.
As previously reported, regional hospitals are also already detailing “escalating patient volumes” and expect increases in ED pressures to continue across communities this winter.
“The flu is more than a bad cold,” stressed CHEO staff. “Children under five are at a higher risk of severe illness from influenza because they have smaller airways and their immune systems are still developing.
“Even healthy kids can become seriously ill and flu spreads quickly in schools and childcare (or similar congregate settings.) Vaccination reduces the risk of hospitalization and helps protect vulnerable family members, including infants too young to be vaccinated,” explained CHEO staff.
And generally, the flu can “spread quickly, especially in indoor settings.”
What else should you know about the flu vaccine?
Well, Bocking said the vaccine is made up of three different types of influenza virus.
Every year, there are different strains of influenza circulating – the vaccine includes two subtypes of influenza A virus, and it includes influenza B virus, she noted.
“There’s usually one subtype that might become the more dominant one, but there’s still other ones that are circulating. So (it’s) definitely worth it and important to get the vaccine because there is more than one type of influenza that’s circulating.
“We are still seeing H1N1. We’re also seeing the subtype of influenza A called H3N2. And we expect that later in the winter, early spring, is when we would start to see influenza B.”
In other words, just because one of the strains may or may not match as well, “we don’t throw the whole vaccine out because there are multiple strains in the vaccine and there are multiple strains that we know are out in the community.”
For Bocking, another key point to delve into is around the vaccine and the influenza A H3N2 subtype – which is also the most common flu subtype being detected, according to Health Canada’s latest respiratory surveillance report data.
“When they make the vaccine, they try and predict …. well, it’s called a clade or subclade within H3N2 (and if it) is going to be the one that’s actually circulating and causing the most illness. And when they made the vaccine, since then, that H3N2 strain has actually changed a little bit,” explained Bocking.
Some reports in recent weeks have also indicated that swells in cases may be linked to the new subclade K variant.
Bocking stresses the flu vaccine is extremely important for certain groups.
“So in particular, if you fit within one of those groups and you haven’t received the flu vaccine yet, we would encourage you to try and do so.”
And as always, officials continue to urge residents to remember the significance of proper hand hygiene, covering coughs and sneezes with elbows versus arms, staying home if sick, complying with mask mandates where applicable, and avoiding places (like congregate settings) where there are people who are at high-risk of severe illness should they be infected with influenza or other viruses. This does help reduce the spread of respiratory infections, stressed Bocking.
With much of the respiratory illness season still ahead – and flu cases expected to “peak” as early as mid-December in some regions – it appears most top docs and public health officials agree that this will be a challenging flu season. This is also why vaccination now is described as crucial to ensure people are protected when virus circulation is at its highest, said officials.
The flu vaccine is available at no charge to all residents six months of age and older and there are several ways to get your jabs.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
