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The IWK is urging people in the Maritimes to get vaccinated for the flu after reporting a big increase in the number of children coming to emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms.
In an update shared to social media on Wednesday, IWK Health said the flu is now here in the Maritimes, and that while most kids can manage it at home, children under five and those with underlying illnesses are at a higher risk of serious illness.
According to the IWK, emergency room visits are recommended under the following circumstances:
- Your child is having trouble breathing (for example, they are breathing faster than normal; they are pale; their lips turn white or blue; they are coughing non-stop, or breathing irregularly).
- Your infant (under three months old) has a fever over 38 C or 100.4 F.
- Your child has a fever over 38 C or 100.4 F for more than 5-7 days in a row.
- Your child is feverish and drowsy, and you are having trouble waking them up.
- Your child has vomiting and/or diarrhea and is not producing tears, has a very dry mouth or has not urinated more than 2-3 times in the last 24 hours.
“We urge everyone to get their flu vaccine to support the health of our community,” the organization said.
Earlier this month, Nova Scotia Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Strang warned that Nova Scotia’s peak flu season, which usually arrives in late December and early January, was expected to happen sooner this year.
Across the country, some hospitals are already taking precautions to prevent strain on their systems, as more people come down with the flu.
Strang said early data suggests the predominant flu strain circulating across the country is influenza A (H3N2).
The current flu vaccine is not the best match for that strain, said Strang, but it doesn’t mean the vaccine won’t provide any protection.
He said it does mean, however, that it’s even more important to use caution this season and mask in indoor spaces, wash hands regularly and stay home while sick.
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