Close X
Thursday, November 14, 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

Surrey to ask court to review provincial order to stay with municipal police

Surrey to ask court to review provincial order to stay with municipal police
The city issued a statement on Friday saying it was asking for a judicial review by the Supreme Court of British Columbia, challenging the province's "lawful authority" to impose its choice of police force without providing the funding to support such a move.

Surrey to ask court to review provincial order to stay with municipal police

No charges for Prince George cop

No charges for Prince George cop
Prosecutors in British Columbia say they won't be charging an RCMP officer in connection with the death of an Indigenous man in Prince George in 2020. A statement from the prosecution service says that although the province's independent watchdog said there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed an offence, the evidence available isn't enough for charges.

No charges for Prince George cop

Influx of Avian Flu in BC

Influx of Avian Flu in BC
Farmers in B-C are preparing for an influx of avian flu cases as wild birds begin migrating south. But a spokesperson for the B-C Poultry Association Emergency Operations Centre says he doesn't expect as much devastation as last year.   

Influx of Avian Flu in BC

Road closures due to Whalley collision

Road closures due to Whalley collision
On Thursday at after 1:30pm Surrey RCMP responded to a report of a pedestrian struck by a semi-truck in the southbound lanes of King George boulevard just north of 104 Avenue. The pedestrian has been transported to hospital with serious injuries. There are single lane closures on both on the northbound and southbound side of King George boulevard between 104 Avenue and 105 Avenue. 

Road closures due to Whalley collision

Federal effort to boost child care in three provinces off to 'slow start': report

Federal effort to boost child care in three provinces off to 'slow start': report
The report by Cardus looking at the roll out of the programs in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick found that issues ranging from unspent funding to skilled labour shortages led to missed child care targets. The federal government signed separate, five-year funding agreements with provinces and territories in 2021, committing up to $30 billion in five years toward the establishment of $10-a-day child care.  

Federal effort to boost child care in three provinces off to 'slow start': report

Pharmacare would cost public sector billions more a year, but save economy money: PBO

Pharmacare would cost public sector billions more a year, but save economy money: PBO
The parliamentary budget officer says a single-payer universal drug plan would cost federal and provincial governments an additional$11.2 billion in the first year, and $13.4 billion in five years. The PBO released a report on Thursday that provides an estimate for the cost of a pharmacare program between 2024-25 and 2027-28. It follows up on a previous costing the PBO published in 2017 for a pharmacare plan. 

Pharmacare would cost public sector billions more a year, but save economy money: PBO