Anyone hoping for protection from a virulent flu strain that has spiked in Alberta in recent weeks is advised to wash their hands, cover their coughs and stay away from public places if they do start to show flu symptoms.
A vaccination for H1N1 and two other flu strains ran out in all Alberta Health Services (AHS) zones last week, beginning with the North Zone, and AHS has said immunization clinics will not be reopened this season.
In Athabasca, Rexall Drugs and Value Drug Mart ran out of the vaccine early last week; on Friday, the Athabasca Health Unit confirmed it no longer had vaccines for the general population. However, some stocks have been reserved for children who have not yet received their second flu shot.
Cathy Meyer, a public health nurse at the Athabasca health unit, said she could not comment on whether or not the health unit has received many complaints about the vaccination running out.
Meyer said the number of people who got the shot in Athabasca was way up the last few weeks, but she could not give specific numbers.
Sixteen deaths due to influenza have occurred in Alberta in 2013-2014 so far; none of the deaths occurred in the North Zone.
The Alberta government spent nearly $8 million on the vaccination, and more than one million Albertans got the shot.
“It’s probably not enough to achieve broad-spectrum herd immunity, but in certain populations, it probably would,” said Dr. Gerry Predy, AHS senior medical officer of health. “We know a lot of our seniors facilities have very high immunization rates, so in that kind of a facility, we’re probably able to achieve herd immunity.”
One area in which the AHS consistently has low vaccine uptake is amongst health-care workers. It publishes data on the immunization rates amongst AHS employees by workplace location. The Athabasca Healthcare Centre has a 58.8-per-cent immunization rate amongst AHS workers, while exactly half of Boyle Healthcare Centre AHS employees have received the vaccine.
“I don’t think the intention is to shame; it’s only to get the information out there,” said Predy of why AHS publicizes the data.
“At least it doesn’t singly point them out,” said Meyer, adding that some pressure does have to be applied to health-care workers, as she’s seen the same low immunization rates every year and doesn’t know why.
Predy said AHS does not track whether the vaccine has better uptake in large urban centres versus more rural ones.
As for next year, both Predy and Meyer said people should get immunized much earlier.
“We spent a lot of time in October trying to convince people to come forward for their vaccine,” Predy said, adding that this year, there were more opportunities than ever for people to get the vaccine through venues like pharmacies or a doctor’s office.
“We’re hoping that people will come out sooner next year,” he said.
Meyer also stressed the importance of getting the vaccine before flu season (December to May, by her estimation), as the shot takes 10 days to two weeks to kick in.
“People say, ‘I’m healthy; I don’t need the vaccine,’” she noted of the pre-flu season mindset with which AHS contends.
For more information on influenza treatment, visit www.albertahealthservices.ca/influenza.
