By Sheldon Spackman

Final Numbers are in

More Albertans received the flu shot this season

Jun 4, 2020 | 11:51 AM

Although the number of flu cases was up in the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Central Zone this year, the number of deaths was down.

According to this season’s final figures (as of May 2), the number of lab-confirmed influenza cases in AHS Central Zone was 1,103 – up 45 per cent from 758 last year.

There were four influenza-related deaths in the Central Zone this season, down from nine last year.

The number of doses of influenza vaccine administered in the Central Zone this year was 126,288 – up eight per cent from 116,762 during last flu season.

Influenza-related hospitalizations meanwhile, remained relatively constant with 156 this year, down only four from last year.

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Dr. Ifeoma Achebe, lead Medical Officer of Health for AHS Central Zone, says it’s encouraging to see the number of people getting their flu shot was higher right across the province, with over 1.4 million this season and 1.3 million last year.

“The population responded much better than previous years and were more willing to immunize, so I’m hoping we can get even better next year,” she says.

Achebe admits, however, the verdict is still out on whether or not this year’s vaccine was effective.

“I suspect this vaccine may be a better match than the year before,” she suggests. “Because we had more doses given out, with less hospitalizations and less deaths, so I think maybe the vaccine’s effectiveness is better. Usually at the end of each flu season, researchers look at the data from the previous year and then they come up with the vaccine’s effectiveness.”

Despite the addition of COVID-19 into the viral infection world this season, Dr. Achebe feels coronavirus has had little impact on the number of flu cases.

“They are just two things going on at the same time,” says Achebe. “The flu season is a given, every year we go through it. But by March-April, we don’t see much activity around influenza anymore.”

Regardless, Dr. Achebe says they continue to review this season’s numbers and that preparations are already underway for this fall’s upcoming flu season.

“We continue to push the message on immunization,” says Achebe. “Especially since we don’t know if a second wave of COVID is coming in the fall. The good thing is that we have a vaccine for influenza, so it is preventable.”