HALIFAX – The number of laboratory confirmed cases of influenza in Nova Scotia is sharply down from the same period last year.
The Department of Health and Wellness last Respiratory Watch Report shows there have only been eight lab confirmed cases of influenza this flu season. Compared to the same period last year, 33 lab confirmed cases were reported.
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The weekly respiratory illness report confirmed there has been one death attributed to influenza and one person admitted to a hospital intensive care unit.
By the same period in 2014, no were no deaths attributed to the flu and no ICU admissions.
The flu vaccine is widely available in Nova Scotia for free, and residents are regularly encouraged to get a shot during flu season.
If you haven’t had a shot yet, now might be a good time to think about it.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) says influenza could be on the rise nationally.
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The PHAC says across the country, lab confirmed cases of the flu are down a bit overall from last year.
But the agency noted a slight increase in flu activity levels week to week in it’s weekly Flu Watch report card.
The public health agency says the most common sub-type of influenza affecting Canadians this year is known as Influenza A (H3N2).
They’ve also noted a slight increase in the number of H1N1 cases being reported.
In total, the agency is reporting 495 lab confirmed cases of the flu across the country so far this season. The majority of those cases, and hospitalizations due to the flu, are in people over the age of 65.
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