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Dr. Robert Strang says that while Nova Scotia’s peak flu season usually arrives in late December and early January, it’s expected to happen sooner in the province this year.
Typically, the flu travels west to east in Canada, meaning Nova Scotia lags behind other parts of the country.
“We’re already seeing that surge in … Central Canada over the last couple of weeks,” said Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief medical officer of health.
He said that has important implications for the province’s health-care system as the likelihood of infections increases as people socialize more around the Christmas holidays. At the same time, the health-care system usually has lower staffing numbers over the holidays.
Strang is encouraging people to get their flu vaccines.
Which flu strain is most dominant
He said early data suggests the predominant flu strain circulating in Canada is influenza A (H3N2).
Unfortunately, the current vaccine being offered is not the best match for this strain.
“It doesn’t mean that the vaccine is not going to still provide protection especially against severe disease from the H3N2 strain … but perhaps less than we would have hoped for,” said Strang.
He said this isn’t unusual as decisions about purchasing vaccines are made about six months ahead of the actual flu season.
Strang did say the current vaccine does provide good protection for other forms of influenza, namely A (H1N1) and B.
In light of the mismatch, Strang said it becomes even more important for people to take other precautionary measures, such as masking in crowded indoor spaces, staying home when they are sick, washing their hands and practising “cough in the trough” or “sneeze in the sleeve.”
Flu shots for kids
One of the concerns with the A (H3N2) flu strain is that it’s “historically associated with more severe outcomes and increased health system demand, particularly among children and older adults,” Strang wrote in a letter that was provided to health-care officials and doctors Wednesday.
Children are eligible for a flu vaccine once they are six months of age. However, children under nine must get two doses their first time receiving the flu shot.
Strang is also urging pregnant women to get vaccinated. Otherwise, they are at increased risks of severe disease themselves, but there are also higher risks to their unborn child of premature birth or other complications.
Strang said women who are vaccinated while they are pregnant provide some protection to their unborn child.
“There will be what we call passive immunity, transfer of immunity from mother to baby, both before birth, through the placenta, but also, if the mother is breastfeeding, then that continues to pass that passive immunity along through breast milk,” said Strang.
COVID-19 update
He’s also encouraging people to get COVID-19 shots. He said there was a modest wave of COVID-19 over the past few weeks, which aligns generally with the fall waves the province sees.
According to the province’s respiratory watch dashboard, there have been 22 COVID-19 deaths since Aug. 24, which marks the start of the province’s respiratory season.
This year, Nova Scotia expanded the availability to a free RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine program for seniors and children. Strang is encouraging people to take advantage of this program as well.
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