B.C. respiratory illness season could peak next week, top doctor says

Health officials in British Columbia have renewed calls to get vaccinated, warning that the peak of the respiratory illness season is still to come.

At a Wednesday briefing, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said only half of British Columbians aged 80 and over have had the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine, while just a quarter of adults have had their booster.

The latest count showed there were 219 people in hospital with COVID, including 26 people in critical care, and wastewater surveillance shows an uptick in the virus in the Lower Mainland, she said.

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Despite this, Henry said data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control shows that most British Columbians have either had COVID-19 or the vaccine — or a combination of both.

“Almost everybody in our community now has some degree of immunity against COVID-19, and that’s really helpful and important to us,” she said.

Henry added that health officials still aren’t sure whether the province will see a spring spike in COVID numbers, and that the province is considering the possibility of a recommended spring booster for older adults.

Of more immediate concern, Henry said, is the growing spread of influenza and RSV, particularly among children.

Henry said the province expects to see the number of respiratory illnesses peak for the season as early as next week.

“We have COVID in the mix now, but we are seeing is much more usual patterns compared to what we saw last year where we saw influenza, COVID and RSV peaking very early in November and then going off at the end of the year,” she said.

“This also means we are not out of the woods yet and we will continue to see high rates of influenza and RSV for the next few weeks.”

The dominant strain of flu this year is influenza A H1N1, which Henry said can be particularly threatening to youth.

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Three children have died this season of bacterial infections linked to influenza, and Henry said just 17 per cent of children have had their updated flu vaccine.

“It is so sad and tragic and we know young people can be protected from these infections, but we know any respiratory virus can cause an inflammation in the lungs that makes you more susceptible to having bacterial infections,” Henry said.

Most children who get the flu will recover normally at home, Henry said.

But she warned parents to seek immediate medical care if their children have trouble breathing, have a fever that lasts more than five days, or are under the age of three months and show a fever.

Health Minister Adrian Dix said the province set a record this week for the total number of people in hospital provincewide, at 10,435.

While he said that was partly due to hospitals conducting a record number of surgeries, it also reflects the growing burden created by respiratory illnesses.

“We need to wear masks where appropriate, and most importantly to get vaccinated,” Dix said.

“We can all continue to step up to protect ourselves and protect our communities, and I strongly encourage people to do that. There are thousands of appointments available this week everywhere in B.C.”

You can find out more about vaccinations in B.C. or book a shot at the provincial government’s Get Vaccinated website.