WATCH ABOVE: There have been more flu deaths in Alberta this year than the last two years combined. Su-Ling Goh takes a look at the numbers.
EDMONTON – The number of Albertans who have died from lab-confirmed influenza this season has reached 78, which is more than the last two years combined.
According to the Alberta Health Services website, 28 of those deaths have been in the Calgary Zone while 24 have been in the Edmonton Zone.
There were 30 deaths due to flu recorded last year. The year before that there were 37.
AHS previously said the province’s influenza season has hit Alberta seniors very hard. It has revealed that lab-confirmed cases amongst those over the age of 80 is four times higher this season than it was last season.
(Graphic: Tonia Huynh, Global News)
As of Feb. 14, more than 1.2 million Albertans had been vaccinated.
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However, this year’s flu vaccine was found to be not as protective against the most common strain of the illness.
This year’s flu vaccine protects against two strains of influenza A: H1N1 and H3N2. It also protects against one strain of influenza B. However, the Centre for Disease Control report shows the type of H3N2 virus circulating this year is different from the one that was used to make this year’s flu shot.
While this year’s vaccine is only partially protective against the dominant strain, H3N2, Dr. James Talbot, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, continues to urge people to get vaccinated.
“With H3N2, we know from previous years, that a partial match is still better than not getting the vaccine at all,” Talbot said in January.
(Graphic: Tonia Huynh, Global News)
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