CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Flu season seems to be drawing to an end, as the province has seen a decrease in lab-confirmed cases of influenza over the past few weeks, says P.E.I.’s chief public health officer.
Dr. Heather Morrison told The Guardian that to date, most of the cases reported are influenza A (H1N1).
As of Feb. 23, there have been 187 lab-confirmed cases in P.E.I. since mid-fall, but Morrison said the true number of cases exceeds that.
“Lab-confirmed influenza cases are an indication of greater influenza activities, because most individuals with influenza wouldn’t be lab-tested, so it’s a signal how much is circulating the community,” she said. “People who go into hospital with influenza are tested.”
The province has seen seven influenza-like outbreaks this flu season. Ten people were sent to the ICU, and there were 78 hospitalizations to date.
Morrison said by the time flu season ends around the end of this month, she doesn’t suspect there will be as many hospitalizations due to influenza this year as there were last year, when the province saw 132 hospitalizations.
The median age for contracting influenza A (H1N1) was 41-years-old this year. While that’s a bit younger than the median age last year, Morrison said that has to do with the predominant circulating strain. Last year’s strain, H3, tended to impact older adults more than H1N1.
Last year, six people died as a result of influenza-related illness. There have been four deaths this year to date.
This year’s influenza vaccine was more than 70 per cent effective in terms of the strain being well-matched, said Morrison, adding the H1N1 strain was covered in the vaccine this year.
About 60,000 doses were administered province-wide during the 2018-2019 season, a slight increase compared to previous years.
Morrison said this was the second year the vaccine was offered universally, which could account for the increase of doses administered.
“We have pharmacists, physicians, public health nursing all administering the vaccine without charging anyone for it, so I think that’s been very important.”
The influenza vaccine can be given to anyone six months of age and older, she said, adding it is especially recommended for certain at-risk groups.
“Anyone who is pregnant, who is a health-care worker, who has chronic disease, heart disease, diabetes, lung problems and those over 65 and children up to 59 months of age (should get vaccinated),” she said. “It’s recommended for everyone, but those are particular risk groups that we talk about.”
Generally speaking, flu season should be over by the end of March, she said.
“Usually we’ll start to see fewer and fewer cases over the next month.”
