BC prepares for rough flu season as health experts encourage vaccination – BC | Globalnews.ca

British Columbia health experts are warning that this year’s flu season could be particularly bad, urging people to get the flu shot and follow the same safety measures that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

While pandemic precautions have made the last two flu seasons extraordinarily easy, Australia, which experienced its flu season earlier in the year, has had health officials including provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, worst season in five years.

Health officials fear the back-to-school season coupled with eased public health restrictions could spell the same fate for BC

“We have not seen influenza in recent years. But people travel more. We’re doing more together,” Henry said during Tuesday’s fall COVID-19 vaccination announcement. “We look at what happened in Australia and New Zealand, we see that last year the influenza was a pretty bad season for them and they came early.”

The flu season usually starts in late October to early November, but could come even earlier this year.

dr Henry says the flu vaccine is only a few weeks away, and she encourages everyone to get the shot.

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Meanwhile, health experts including the London Drugs Pharmacy and Vice President of Healthcare Innovation Chris Chu are encouraging people to follow COVID-19 precautions.

“They call it COVID precautions, but it could help with any type of virus,” he said. “One of the things that we’ve done is wear a mask and what does it protect other people when you wear it because when you talk to other people you prevent you from projecting onto other people.”

Chu recommends people make an appointment to get the flu shot through the government’s website.

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According to Dr. Horacio Bach, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Infectious Diseases at the University of British Columbia, can also make a big contribution to reducing the burden on hospitals and staff.

“We have hospitals with big problems. We’re understaffed. Many hospitals in rural areas are closed on the weekends because we don’t have people there,” he said. “We don’t want to overload these hospitals with flu cases plus COVIDF-19. We must be vigilant.”

With files by Emad Agahi