British Columbia health officials are preparing for a “winter surge” of COVID-19 and influenza to hit in November and December, while insisting sweeping public health measures will not be necessary.
The province’s influenza vaccination campaign will start, for the vast majority of British Columbians, around Oct. 11 after the Thanksgiving long weekend.
This campaign merge into the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination program. All adults in B.C. are now eligible to get a bivalent COVID booster and can book one through the Get Vaccinated website or by phone.
Those who received a non-bivalent booster in the spring as a fourth shot will be offered the new vaccine as a fifth shot in October.
“The plan is to get both bivalent and the flu shot at the same time. That will be the best protection to get through the fall and the next few months,” provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said.
The province is preparing for additional potential hospitalizations due to COVID-19 surges in the community but said the volumes are difficult to predict.
Projections suggest the number of COVID-positive patients in B.C. hospitals could rise as high as 700 in the coming months. The current total is 350 people in hospital with the virus.
The data also suggests a peak of up to 1,200 additional patients may require hospitalization due to influenza for a few weeks over the coming months.
British Columbia has been using data from Australia and New Zealand to plan for influenza impacts. Australia recently experienced its worst flu season in more than five years.
The province is planning 1,500 more hospital beds if needed, through late fall into early spring.
“We are emerging from this pandemic. But there is still uncertainty about what we should expect over the next few months,” Henry said.
“Although we may be emerging, it is clear COVID will still be with us.”
Work is also underway to continue enhanced air ambulance teams to expedite transfers.
Under worst-case scenario planning, where as a last resort and where needed, the province would consider hospital service reductions, including postponing surgeries, as it did earlier in the pandemic.