Close X
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
ADVT 
National

Get your shots, Henry tells B.C., as flu rises in return of pre-pandemic patterns

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 11 Dec, 2023 04:29 PM
  • Get your shots, Henry tells B.C., as flu rises in return of pre-pandemic patterns

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says she's seeing a drop in COVID-19 cases in British Columbia but influenza illnesses appear to be increasing, in line with pre-pandemic patterns.

She says cases of H1N1 flu and respiratory syncytial virus are both rising, with youngsters testing positive for RSV in high numbers.

Henry is urging people to get both their COVID-19 vaccines and flu shots before Christmas to better protect themselves and loved ones during the holiday season.

She says that as of Sunday, more than 1.4 million influenza vaccines and almost 1.3 million updated COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in B.C. this fall.

Henry says B.C. has received 2.3 million doses of influenza vaccine and more than 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

She says COVID-19 positive tests, hospitalizations and deaths have been decreasing since early October, with 182 people in hospital with the illness last week and 17 of them in critical care.

"It looks much like the typical seasons we used to have prior to the pandemic, with peaks particularly of influenza and RSV, and with influenza we tend to see peaks after the holiday period in late December, early January," Henry said at a news conference.

"Now is the time when we can take preventive measures to try and stop that peak."

 

MORE National ARTICLES

Israeli woman with Canadian relatives has died: group

Israeli woman with Canadian relatives has died: group
An Israeli woman with Canadian family has died, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs says. The centre says the family of Tiferet Lapidot has asked that the development be shared with the media.   

Israeli woman with Canadian relatives has died: group

Champagne says he wishes grocers were more 'forthcoming' on plans to stabilize prices

Champagne says he wishes grocers were more 'forthcoming' on plans to stabilize prices
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says he wishes Canadian grocers would be more forthcoming with the public about their plans to stabilize prices. Earlier this month, Champagne announced that major Canadian grocers — Loblaw, Metro, Empire, Walmart and Costco — submitted initial plans to the federal government for how they will stabilize prices in the face of high inflation.

Champagne says he wishes grocers were more 'forthcoming' on plans to stabilize prices

Wind and rainfall warnings for BC

Wind and rainfall warnings for BC
Environment Canada has issued several wind and rainfall warnings as a "potent" fall storm bears down along B-C's coast. The weather office says strong winds with gusts up to 110 kilometres per hour are expected over parts of northern Vancouver Island, the central coast and Haida Gwaii.  

Wind and rainfall warnings for BC

Two B.C. community newspapers publish their last editions this week

Two B.C. community newspapers publish their last editions this week
Two newspapers in British Columbia are publishing their last editions this week, eliminating coverage by community papers for a large swath of the province's northeast. Glacier Media announced it is shutting down both the Dawson Creek Mirror and the Alaska Highway News out of Fort St. John.

Two B.C. community newspapers publish their last editions this week

Urn stolen in North Vancouver

Urn stolen in North Vancouver
Mounties in North Vancouver are asking for the public's help in locating an urn stolen from a car over the weekend. R-C-M-P say they received multiple reports of vehicle break-ins on West 21st Street around 10:30 Saturday morning.  

Urn stolen in North Vancouver

B.C. to bring in law forcing Surrey to go with municipal police force

B.C. to bring in law forcing Surrey to go with municipal police force
British Columbia Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has introduced legislation that will require the City of Surrey to provide policing with a municipal force in the latest jurisdictional salvo over the RCMP and the Surrey Police Service. The update in the Police Act also gives the province the authority to cancel the RCMP contract it has with Surrey, B.C.'s second most populous city behind Vancouver.   

B.C. to bring in law forcing Surrey to go with municipal police force