Flu season is coming to an end, but Alberta Health Services (AHS) continues to encourage immunization.
Medical Officer for Alberta Health Services Digby Horne says this year they have seen more influenza A than year before and adds that influenza B has come earlier than the previous year.
“The B viruses affect a little bit of a younger age group and less so seniors, whereas A does affect seniors predominantly and other ages groups to a slightly lower extent.”
Despite higher rates of influenza for 2018, Horne says it’s hard to point to a reason for the increase aside from immunization vaccines not being 100 per cent effective. He add that the rates of immunization being taken this year are similar to past years.
AHS will see cases of the flu sporadically throughout the year, but will stop immunizing at the end of March.
“We wrap the season up with immunization for young children less than nine years of age who need two doses. We will give them there second dose up to April 30 and then after that we typically don’t immunize.”
Flu season typically begins in November and ends in March.