Flu season: very effective vaccine this year in Alberta

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Mid-season data shows that this year’s flu shot was more effective than usual in preventing the disease. The finding should spur more Albertans to get vaccinated ahead of an expected resurgence in flu cases later this winter, an expert says.

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Preliminary results, based on data from Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, show that the vaccine reduced the risk of influenza by about half during the strong wave of infection by influenza A in the fall.

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It’s a “substantial” effect, said Dr. James Dickinson, a professor at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. He said it exceeds the usual vaccine effectiveness against the currently dominant H3N2 strain in Alberta, which is around 30% in a typical year.

“It goes to show that it’s still worth getting vaccinated,” said Dickinson, who leads Alberta’s community flu surveillance program.

“There’s a good chance we’ll get a second (wave of flu) later in the year. We usually have two flu epidemics.

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Flu vaccines are often less effective than other vaccines because vaccine makers have to predict which flu strains will be prevalent in the community when they design the vaccine – a best guess that doesn’t always turn out to be correct.

As of December 31, flu shot coverage in Alberta was 26.9%. That’s consistent with the previous season, but below highs set between 2018 and 2020, including the 2020-21 season, when 37% of Albertans had a chance.

Coverage is highest in older age groups, with half of people aged 60 to 74 being vaccinated and seven in 10 Albertans aged 75 and older. Rates are slow in young children, however, the other age group prone to severe influenza; coverage in the under-12 cohort remained below 20%.

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Alberta released updated flu infection and serious illness data Thursday, the first time in two weeks.

The week ending Dec. 31 marked the sixth straight week of flu declines in Alberta, a drop that followed the biggest spike in cases in Alberta since 2009.

There have been 1,812 flu hospitalizations in Alberta this season, including 188 people who needed care in intensive care units.

The province has also recorded 77 flu deaths, including 20 newly reported Thursday. This total includes two children under the age of 10.

New COVID-19 vaccines available for Alberta youth

There are also now more options for Alberta parents who want to have their children vaccinated against COVID-19.

Alberta is offering a Pfizer bivalent vaccine booster designed to combat the BA.4 and BA.5 omicron variants for children ages 5-11. The protein-based Novavax vaccine is also now available for ages 12 to 17; previously, this vaccine was only an option for adults.

The vaccines were made available at Alberta Health Services community clinics beginning Thursday, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Mark Joffe said in a Twitter thread.

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The new vaccines come amid growing concerns over the new Omicron XBB 1.5 subvariant, dubbed Kraken, which has swept across the United States and is believed to be more infectious and to have better immune evasion than previous strains.

Alberta Health said Wednesday it had detected its first four cases of this subvariantas infectious disease experts predict a local outbreak is likely.

The Alberta Medical Association said on its Twitter account Thursday that the new variant comes as hospitals continue to feel the strain from the ongoing respiratory virus season. The group encouraged Albertans to get vaccinated, wear a mask in crowded indoor spaces and stay home when sick.

“We cannot relax our vigilance. People get sick. Hospitals and emergency departments are overwhelmed while members of the healthcare team providing care are overwhelmed, exhausted and worried for the months to come,” the AMA said.

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Twitter: @jasonfherring