UPDATE: Health officials say the number of flu deaths mentioned (10) during a news conference on Jan. 6 was an approximation. On Tuesday, they said there are nine deaths confirmed so far.
EDMONTON – Albertans are heeding the calls to get immunized against the flu, which continues to take its toll.
“At this point, we’ve immunized more Albertans than were immunized in the entire flu season last year; and we have immunized them before the peak has arrived. So, that’s the optimum,” said Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health.
“We’ve had a huge demand for the vaccine,” Dr. Gerry Predy, senior medical officer of health with Alberta Health Services (AHS), said Sunday. “I think people all of a sudden perceive more of a risk and I think that’s what brought them forward.”
At a news conference Monday afternoon, Talbot confirmed that the flu has been linked to 300 people being hospitalized across the province, 40 of whom ended up in the ICU.
To date, there have also been nine deaths linked to the flu, “which is about what we had in the entire flu season last year,” Talbot said Monday. The number of deaths has nearly doubled from five last Thursday.
Those who died have been between the ages of 18 and 64, according to Talbot.
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“This particular strain, the H1N1, seems to be a little more aggressive with the healthier population, so it’s kind of an oxymoron,” explained Louis Francescutti, a professor with the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta, on Sunday.
The H1N1 strain is primarily attacking adults in their 30s, 40s, and 50s.
“And that’s the population that’s usually more difficult to immunize,” Francescutti said.
READ MORE: What you need to know about flu activity across Canada
Still, there was no shortage of people looking to get a flu shot over the weekend and on Monday.
At MacEwan’s on campus medical clinic, for example, vaccinations are available to students on an appointment basis.
“What we’re making sure is that we’re communicating with them about the H1N1concern around influenza. We are referring them to the Alberta Health Services website,” said Catherine Heslep VP Student Services MacEwan University.
Elsewhere, the demand was so great that many pharmacies, like Shopper’s Drug Mart, ran out of the vaccine.
“Unfortunately it’s not available,” says Calgary pharmacist Azita Rezaei. “Usually it slows down in the New Year, but because of the outbreak the demand is getting higher again.
“We hope that before the end of this week we actually receive some.”
Talbot recommends people check with their pharmacy to see if there are vaccines in stock, since there is a distribution problem that officials are trying to deal with.
Flu clinics will reopen on Tuesday. Click here for a list of locations.
Edmonton’s additional immunization clinic locations are as follows:
Bonnie Doon Health Centre, 8314 88 Avenue N.W.
Fri, January 10, 2014 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Drop In)
Northgate Health Centre, 9499 137 Avenue N.W.
Tues, January 7, 2014 12:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Drop In)
Fri, January 10, 2014 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (Drop In)
West Jasper Place Health Centre, 9720 – 182 Street NW, T5T 3T9
Tues, January 7, 2014 12.30 p.m – 8:00 p.m. (Drop In)
With files from Caley Ramsay, Tamara Elliott, Heather Yourex, Global News
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