This past season, Alberta experienced one of its lowest vaccination uptake rates in recent history, with only 18 per cent of residents receiving a flu shot. If you were among that 18 per cent, thank you.
Like many of my colleagues at Alberta Children’s Hospital, I witnessed previously healthy children being hospitalized due to influenza last winter. Some suffered from respiratory failure and required breathing tubes, while others faced complicated pneumonia that necessitated chest tubes to drain fluid compressing their lungs. Health-care providers will tell you we all dread the respiratory viral season. So I urge you, this year, let’s do better: before the influenza peaks take over our hospitals, schools and communities, let’s give our kids and ourselves a fighting chance by taking advantage of the protection the flu vaccine brings.
Those low vaccine uptake rates left more than 80 per cent of our fellow Albertans vulnerable to this relentless virus. I promise you, no matter how young and healthy you are, if you get the flu, you will remember it. This is not a common cold; you can’t go about your daily activities like school or work. At its best, the flu leaves you bedbound with intense body aches, fevers and debilitating coughing spells. At its worst, it can lead to secondary bacterial infections that require hospitalization or intensive care, risking death.
As the weather becomes colder and we spend more time indoors, influenza returns, but the virus continues to evolve and adapt. Vaccines are tailored each year to target the circulating strains of influenza to provide the best protection against the strain that circulates that season.
In 2023-24, there were almost 150 serious outbreaks across Alberta, leading to more than 600 hospitalizations. In addition to the pain and suffering that comes with hospitalization, an unchecked flu season robs our already overwhelmed health-care system of vital resources. This virus is unforgiving, and while it poses a threat to us all, certain Albertans are at an even greater risk of severe complications. Children under five years old, adults over 65 and pregnant individuals are particularly vulnerable to complications.
Pregnant and postpartum women endure even more serious risks than their non-pregnant counterparts. The flu puts moms at risk as well as babies. But there is hope.
Studies have shown that the flu vaccine is safe at any stage of pregnancy, offering essential protection for both mother and child. With newborns and infants unable to receive a flu vaccine until six months or older, the flu is still a risk for babies who are born during flu season. A recent study even reassured us that flu shots are safe across successive pregnancies. By getting vaccinated, we not only safeguard ourselves but also shield our loved ones from harm.
Availability of flu vaccines in pharmacies makes it convenient. Getting your vaccine can be a part of your weekend routine. Going grocery shopping? Take a few extra minutes to get vaccinated and protect yourself and your community.
Getting vaccinated each year is the best way to prevent influenza. As you’re getting back into the swing of things with school, work and the fall, also swing by a pharmacy or a doctor’s office and get your flu protection this season.
Dr. Cora Constantinescu is a pediatrician and infectious-disease expert in Calgary.