Some provinces were forced to change their vaccine rollout after the flu virus hit earlier than expected.LM Otero/The Associated Press
On Nov. 2, Health editor Caroline Alphonso and health reporter Alanna Smith answered reader questions on this year’s flu season, how to find out about infection rates and vaccination plans in your region, and how you can prevent and manage symptoms.
The influenza virus is hitting harder and earlier this year across Canada. Rates this fall are several times higher than the numbers recorded in previous years, experts say, and some provinces are offering flu shots earlier than usual, as vulnerable populations seek to protect themselves.
Flu virus hits harder and earlier as some provinces adjust vaccination plans
Readers asked how long flu season lasts, tips to prevent the spread of infection and how the vaccine is rolled out. Here are some highlights from the Q&A.
What to know about flu season
How long does flu season typically last?
Caroline Alphonso: Typically, flu season starts in late fall (I always think of my kids going back to school and bringing home all those viruses!), peaks in the winter (it always makes our Christmas gatherings a bit eventful!) and tapers off in the spring.
This year, the flu season came a bit earlier, which prompted some provinces to adjust their vaccination plans. Tu Thanh Ha, a Health reporter on our team, had a story on the early flu season.
Why is there a flu season at all? Is it weather-dependent?
Alanna Smith: Yes, the flu season is strongly influenced by the weather. The virus is able to survive longer in colder temperatures and is constantly mutating to bypass our immune systems. Also, in the colder months, people are more likely to hang out inside, closer to one another, making it easy for the virus to jump from person to person.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for almost everyone six months and olderThinkstock/Getty Images/iStockphoto
How to stay healthy
We as a family are recovering from a really bad episode of cough and flu. Do we have immunity now? When do we get shots?
Alphonso: You may have some immunity now but you shouldn’t rely on it alone, and you should still get the recommended vaccines. Here’s why: Unless you were tested, you don’t know if you had the flu or COVID-19 or even some other respiratory illness. I would suggest speaking to your health care professional.
Why are flu shots unavailable for infants, and what can I do to protect my three-month-old daughter?
Alphonso: According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the seasonal flu vaccine is recommended for almost everyone six months and older. Influenza vaccines are not approved or sufficiently protective for babies under six months of age. Health experts say that the best thing you can do to protect your daughter is to make sure everyone around her is vaccinated.
My daughter-in-law is struggling with a variant not covered by this year’s vaccine. What can be done about that?
Smith: I am assuming that you are talking about the influenza vaccine.
The seasonal shot is trivalent, which means it is designed to protect against three different strains, two different Influenza A strains and one Influenza B. Early data show that the current flu vaccine is a good match for the circulating strains. But, even if it were a mismatch, the vaccine does provide some protection, cutting the risk of severe illness and hospital admission.
Take last season, for example. While the flu vaccine was not a match for the dominant Subclade K strain, it still reduced the risk of serious illness by roughly 40 per cent compared with unvaccinated individuals. You can read more about those findings here.
How can seniors stay safe from infection during flu season, especially one that’s even longer than usual?
Alphonso: For seniors, vaccination remains the most effective protection against severe illness. Public health experts would advise seniors to stay up to date on vaccinations.
I know that masks are no longer worn by many people. However, they could be useful on public transit or crowded spaces.
And of course, ask family members to stay home if they’re sick, and practice good hand hygiene.
If we get sick, what’s a good rule of thumb on how long to take extra steps to make sure we don’t infect anybody else?
Smith: The infectious period differs depending on the respiratory illness. Additionally, the duration of sickness is typically longer when someone is not vaccinated.
For influenza, it is best to wait five days or until you feel better overall before seeing people again, according to guidance from the Public Health Agency of Canada. You are most contagious in the first three days after symptoms present.
For COVID-19, the infectious period can vary, but it is generally considered to last up to 10 days following symptom onset. That period can be longer in severe cases or for those who are immunocompromised.
Now, for the common cold, there is unfortunately quite a range. People are contagious as long as symptoms are present, which is usually between seven and 10 days but can stretch up to roughly two weeks.
These reminders from an ER doc can help keep you healthy during flu season
Preparing for the season
Why can’t we get a flu vaccine earlier?
Smith: The flu virus hit so early and hard this season that some provinces, including Prince Edward Island and Alberta, actually had to adjust their vaccine campaigns to get shots in arms faster.
Each year, Canadian provinces and territories decide when to start offering vaccines based on federal guidance, disease surveillance and rollout logistics but, unfortunately, there is not an exact science to know when viral spread will take off. There are risks associated with starting vaccines early but also in waiting too long.
My health colleague, Tu Thanh Ha, spoke to an expert about this recently, who explained that beginning vaccine rollout too early can be problematic because protection wanes prematurely. Additionally, campaigns must be set months in advance to address manufacturing, procurement and distribution issues, making it difficult to change when the season doesn’t go as anticipated. You can read that story here.
How does each province decide how to fight the flu every year? Are there any major outliers?
Smith: Generally speaking, flu programs are similar across the country. Each province and territory, however, manages their own, so there can be differences in eligibility criteria, launch dates and rollout. The campaigns are informed by scientific and national guidance, surveillance data and vaccine procurement.
The major outlier this season is Quebec, which is the only province in Canada charging some of its residents for a flu vaccine. Only some Quebeckers are still eligible for a free shot, such as seniors, people with certain chronic conditions and those living with them, pregnant people and residents of long-term care and seniors’ homes. Everyone else has to pay between $30 and $40.
Every other province has maintained universal coverage for the flu vaccine.
Quebec will not administer free flu shots this fall
Isn’t Quebec charging for flu shots asking for a lower uptake and therefore ultimately putting high risk patients at even higher risk due to lack of “herd” immunity?
Smith: You are not alone in raising these questions. Public health experts across Canada have voiced concern over Quebec’s policy, arguing that it could lower vaccine uptake and lead to more strain on hospitals and further erode vaccine confidence. But it’s too early in the viral season to be able to gauge the full impact of this move.
What is the vaccination rate by age group in B.C. and should “younger” people get vaccinated?
Smith: I have to admit, I thought those stats would live publicly online somewhere and be easy to find. . . not the case. I also reached out to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control yesterday but the agency was unable to immediately provide that data.
There is some national data, however, that shows 25.3 per cent of British Columbians aged 18 to 64 were vaccinated against the flu last season, compared to 67.1 per cent of seniors (65+).
As for the second part of your question on whether younger people should get vaccinated, I’ll point you to the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) recommendations, which are largely followed across Canada. NACI strongly recommends COVID-19 immunization for higher risk individuals, including seniors and health care workers, and that vaccines “may be offered” to all other individuals. The agency continues to recommend flu vaccination for all individuals six months and older.