By: Hannah Kazemi, Staff Writer
A new report from the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) found the flu vaccine has “cut the risk of influenza illness by about half” — specifically 55% — so far during this year’s flu season. The Peak sat down for an interview with Dr. Danuta Skowronski, epidemiology lead for influenza at the BCCDC, to learn more about the province’s knowledge about vaccine effectiveness.
Skowronski is also the lead of the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN), and a clinical professor for UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. Skowronski said the 55% decrease in influenza risk was determined using data from BC, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. It considered reported cases between November 1 and mid December. The BCCDC report stated BC has seen higher vaccine effectiveness this season compared to previous years against the H3N2 subtype of Influenza A, where vaccine effectiveness has typically been much lower and the epidemics much more severe.
“This has been an unusual influenza season with some unusual characteristics, notably that it has peaked earlier than in typical influenza seasons where we might see the peak sometime in January or February,” Skowronski told The Peak. The Government of Canada’s Flu Watch reported over 9,300 laboratory detections of influenza over December 4–10, 2022. In the same week in 2021, only 55 cases were reported.
In late December, BC was in the downslope of the epidemic curve, but she noted this doesn’t mean flu season has come to an end. “Whether ultimately [an earlier flu season] will translate into a greater burden this year compared to other years where the epidemic comes later, we still have to determine that.”
Skowronski emphasized the best time for those who are vulnerable to get vaccinated is before the epidemic peak so that protection levels are highest. She explained this includes “people with underlying comorbidity of any age [ . . . ] especially heart and lung conditions.”
She also noted it is a good idea for otherwise healthy individuals to get vaccinated during the downslope. She said, “Anyone who wants to avoid a miserable illness — and influenza is a miserable illness — can receive that direct protection by being vaccinated.” However, the benefits of getting vaccinated at this stage of flu season “is greatest for those who are at highest risk of severe complications.”
Vaccines are available for everyone older than six months in BC, according to Immunize BC. Immunize BC recommends getting a flu shot every year, because the strains it protects against may change as new variants form. The BCCDC calls the flu a “highly changeable virus” because new variants form over time to produce new subtypes. Getting a flu shot each year ensures protection from the dominant strain each season.
Skowronski discussed preventative measures that can be taken to further stop the spread of influenza if you become sick. “Everyone can contribute by, for instance, staying away from public settings” when ill to “take yourself out of circulation to help prevent the spread.” If isolation isn’t possible, “don a mask.” Using a “mask in close settings is also another layer of protection that can be applied,” she said.
When sick, she noted it is important to cough and sneeze “into the crook of your elbow sleeve rather than into your hands to avoid contaminating the hands,” and “washing hands on a regular basis.”
For more information on receiving your flu shot, visit immunizebc.ca.
