Flu numbers up over last year
By Gillian Slade on November 10, 2018.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com @MHNGillianSlade The first numbers of this flu season have been released by Alberta Health Services, and the number of laboratory-confirmed cases is higher than it was a year ago. A total of 510 cases of influenza A have been confirmed, and 19 of those were in the south zone. There are considerably fewer cases of influenza B, just nine across the province, and only one of those is in the south zone. There are two cases that have not yet been assigned to a particular zone, according to the information provided on the AHS website. By Nov. 9 in 2017 there had been 345 cases of influenza A and 52 of influenza B. Of those numbers there were 16 and one respectively in the south zone. The total number of people admitted to hospital with influenza is 113 and none were in the south zone compared to 132 and nine respectively last season by this date. There have been no confirmed deaths from influenza this season so far. By Nov. 9, 2017 there had been four deaths in the province and one of those was in the south zone. The number of doses of influenza vaccine administered so far this season is slightly above that of last year across the province at 656,907. Of those, 50,605 were in the south zone. These numbers are the total doses administered by AHS public health and pharmacists between Aug. 26 and Nov. 3 this year, says the AHS website. By Nov. 9, 2017 there had been 639,305 doses of vaccine administered and 51,093 of those were in the south zone. The vaccine this season is a four-strain injectible, with two strains of influenza A and two of influenza B. The vaccine is available free of charge to Albertans six months of age or older. There is only one AHS flu vaccination clinic still to take place in Medicine Hat on Nov. 14 from 2-6 p.m. at Higdon Hall, Stampede Grounds. Bow Island has an AHS flu vaccination clinic in the Provincial Building Nov. 28 from 3-6 p.m. Most pharmacists provide the flu shot to those more than five years old. 14
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