Twenty more Albertans died of influenza in the past two weeks, according to the latest figures released by the province.
As of December 31, 2022, 77 Albertans had died from influenza. That number is approaching double the decade’s average.
In the two weeks following the last publicly published data report, there were 183 more influenza hospitalizations and 10 new ICU admissions. And there were 654 more laboratory-confirmed cases.
Influenza A (H3N2) remains the dominant subtype.
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There have been 1,812 hospitalisations, 180 ICU admissions and 8,335 cases this season.
Provincial ICU capacity, including surge beds, stood at 87 percent on January 6.
Laboratory-confirmed cases have been declining since November 20, but the pre-pandemic flu season has often seen a resurgence of cases – a second wave.
Between 2009 and 2020, Alberta saw an average of 1,483 hospitalizations, 161 ICU admissions and 41 deaths per influenza season.
The 2017–18 season saw the highest number of hospitalizations in the past decade, at 3,047, and the 2014–15 season saw 114 deaths.
The percentage of Albertans who have been vaccinated against influenza has risen to 26.9 per cent, a number that the Alberta Medical Association called “still too low”.
“Our wise seniors are getting the point (and the shot): 65.5 percent of people over 65 have been immunized against influenza,” the AMA posted on social media.
“We are very concerned that only 23.7 per cent of children between the ages of six months and four years have been immunised.”
20- to 24-year-olds have taken the flu vaccine lowest at 11.2 percent in Alberta, with 25- to 29-year-olds second lowest at 13.3 percent. People of age are not unaffected by influenza, with 67 hospitalizations and nine ICU admissions in the season set to begin in September 2022.
vaccines can be booked onlineHealth Link by calling 811 or visiting your local pharmacy,
Recent trends featured on the University of Calgary’s Center for Health Informatics Waste Water Testing Portal Cities such as Edmonton, Calgary, Red Deer, Grand Prairie and Fort McMurray saw a decline in influenza levels, but cities such as Lethbridge, Brooks and Medicine Hat showed an upward trend.
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