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A needle and syringe used to administer the flu shot. The percentage of positive flu tests crossed the 5-per-cent mark, according to the national FluWatch+ surveillance program.Tara Walton/The Canadian Press
The flu virus has hit earlier and harder this fall, forcing some provinces to adjust vaccination plans and adding urgency to the immunization campaign in Ontario, where seniors have reported difficulties obtaining shots.
The latest figures from the national FluWatch+ surveillance program, released Friday, show that the percentage of positive tests had crossed the 5-per-cent mark.
If the rate remains above that threshold next week, the start of the influenza season will be declared, according to the surveillance program.
For the week ending Oct. 10, the percentage of positive tests rose to 5.3 per cent, from 4.7 per cent the previous week. In British Columbia, the province with the highest flu activity, the positivity rate was 14.9 per cent.
“This is a clear, strong indication that flu is circulating and we need to continue to watch whether that increase continues and whether it translates clinically into more medical visits and hospitalizations,” said Don Vinh, an infectious disease specialist at McGill University.
Rates this fall are several times higher than the numbers recorded in previous years, Dr. Vinh noted. “We are definitely having an earlier start to the flu season.” The influenza activity started before vaccination campaigns began to deploy fully “and that’s a situation that we want to avoid.”
However, he added, starting vaccines too early can be problematic as well, because then their protection wane prematurely. Also, vaccination campaigns have to be set months in advance to address manufacturing, procurement and distribution issues. “The flu doesn’t really care about our agenda,” Dr. Vinh said.
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Most provinces set their vaccination launches for Oct. 13. But the escalating rates prompted Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to start at an earlier date and Alberta to adjust the availability of flu shots.
PEI held pop-up clinics on Oct. 7. “Flu season has arrived earlier than usual in Prince Edward Island,” its Department of Health and Wellness said in a Sept. 28 communiqué that urged islanders to book appointments.
Nova Scotia started appointments on Oct. 9.
Alberta was to launch its vaccination drive on Oct. 19, but it has now told pharmacies to give shots as soon as they receive the doses.
“Albertans are encouraged to contact their local pharmacy or clinic to see if they are able to administer fall immunizations prior to October 19th,” the province’s Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services said in a statement.
Ontario originally said high-risk and priority groups could get vaccinated starting the week of Sept. 28. However, some people found that shots wouldn’t be available until Oct. 13, after Thanksgiving.
Frustrated seniors said they contacted multiple pharmacies without success; in other cases appointments were cancelled because the vaccine hadn’t arrived. Ontarians who spoke to The Globe and Mail reported they had trouble making bookings for relatives in their 80s and 90s in Niagara, North Bay and London, with appointments not opening before Oct. 28 or Nov. 1.
“Only the most determined might go through all that hassle,” 68-year-old Toronto retiree Sue Gowans said, recounting her difficulties finding online options for herself and an older relative.
Most Quebeckers lose flu shot coverage as viral season gets early start
Michelle Cohen, a family doctor in Brighton, Ont., said her practice usually receives flu vaccines in early October. This year, the delivery arrived Thursday and contained fewer shots and less of the high-dose formulation recommended for seniors.
“It is frustrating because people are checking out the pharmacy, not sure what to do, looking online,” she said. “I have many patients who are in their 80s and 90s, and it’s hard for them simply to get out of the house a lot of the time and come into the office. … They’re asking for a flu shot and I’m saying, sorry, try again later.”
Ontario’s Ministry of Health said 679,000 doses were distributed as of Oct. 8 and priority was given to hospitals, long-term care homes and other high-risk settings.
The main viral subtype detected so far is influenza A (H1N1), which can cause severe disease in younger adults, pregnant women and those with underlying medical conditions, Dr. Vinh said, explaining that vaccination shouldn’t be limited to older people.
Preliminary data suggest that this year’s vaccine has been a “moderately good match” for the viral strain circulating, he added.
In Quebec, vaccination begins Oct. 20. Starting this fall, shots are free only for those in vulnerable groups, including people 65 and over, nursing home residents and pregnant women. The association of Quebec pharmacy owners says people who don’t qualify for free shots can expect to be charged $30 to $40 for a flu jab.