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home / 世界杯决赛2022

flu vaccine highly effective this season in alberta, new data shows

the vaccine cut the risk of flu illness by about 50 per cent during the fall's sharp wave of influenza a infection — a number that ordinarily sits around 30 per cent

by jason herring

jan 5 2023
read time 3 minute read
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registered nurse kate administers a flu shot at richmond road diagnostic and treatment centre on monday, october 17, 2022. azin ghaffari/postmedia
mid-season data shows this year’s influenza vaccine has been more effective at preventing illness than usual. it’s a finding one expert says should spur more albertans to get the shot ahead of an anticipated resurgence of flu cases later this winter.
the preliminary findings, based on data from alberta, british columbia, ontario and quebec, show the vaccine cut the risk of flu illness by about half during the fall’s sharp wave of influenza a infection.
that’s a “substantial” effect, said university of calgary cumming school of medicine professor dr. james dickinson. he said it surpasses usual vaccine effectiveness against the h3n2 strain currently dominant in alberta, which sits around 30 per cent in a typical year.
“it shows there’s still value in getting the vaccine,” said dickinson, who runs the alberta community influenza surveillance program.
“the chances are good that we get a second (flu wave) later in the year. we usually have two epidemics of influenza.”
flu vaccines often have lower effectiveness than other immunizations because vaccine manufacturers have to predict which strains of influenza will be prevalent in the community when they design the shot — a best guess that doesn’t always turn out to be correct.
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as of dec. 31, alberta’s flu vaccine coverage sits at 26.9 per cent. that’s in line with the previous season but below highs set between 2018 and 2020, including the 2020–21 season, when 37 per cent of albertans got a shot.
coverage is highest in older age groups, with half of those aged 60 to 74 immunized, and seven in 10 albertans aged 75 and older. rates are sluggish among young children, however, the other age group prone to severe flu illness; coverage in the under-12 cohort has stalled below 20 per cent.
alberta released updated data on flu infections and severe illness thursday, the first time it has done so in two weeks.
the week ending dec. 31 marked the sixth consecutive week of decreases in flu illness in alberta, a decline that followed the largest wave of cases in alberta since 2009.
there have been 1,812 hospitalizations from the flu in alberta this season, including 188 people who needed care in intensive care units.
the province has also logged 77 flu deaths, with 20 of those newly reported thursday. that total includes two children under age 10.

new covid-19 vaccines available for alberta youth

there are also now more options for alberta parents looking to immunize their kids against covid-19.
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alberta is offering a pfizer bivalent vaccine booster designed to combat the ba.4 and ba.5 omicron variants for children aged five to 11. the protein-based novavax shot is also now available for those aged 12 to 17; previously, that vaccine was only an option for adults.
the vaccines were made available at alberta health services community clinics starting thursday, chief medical officer of health dr. mark joffe said in a twitter thread.
the new shots come amid growing concerns over the new omicron xbb 1.5 subvariant, nicknamed kraken, which has been sweeping through the united states and is considered to be more infectious and to have better immune evasion than previous strains.

alberta health said wednesday it had detected its first four cases of that subvariant , as infectious disease experts predict a local surge is likely.

the alberta medical association said on its twitter account thursday the new variant comes as hospitals continue to feel the strain of the ongoing respiratory virus season. the group encouraged albertans to get their vaccines, wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces and stay home while sick.
“we can’t relax our vigilance. people are becoming ill. hospitals and emergency departments are overflowing while health-care team members providing the care are overstretched, burned out and worried about the months ahead,” the ama said.

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jherring@postmedia.com
twitter: @jasonfherring
jason herring
jason herring

jason herring is a reporter and editor at the calgary herald and calgary sun, joining the papers in 2019. he graduated from the university of calgary, where he was the editor of the school's student newspaper, the gauntlet. he is an avid cinephile and an amateur crossword puzzle constructor.

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