New Brunswick has recorded an all-time high of 836 positive flu cases in one week and 115 hospitalizations, nearly double the previous record, says the acting chief medical officer of health.
Close to 20 per cent of those hospitalized were children and youth, Dr. Yves Léger told reporters Tuesday. That's one in five, which he described as being "maybe a little bit higher" than previous years.
Since the beginning of the 2022-23 flu season on Aug. 28, a total of 61 youth under age 20 have been hospitalized in New Brunswick, he revealed. The "majority" of them have been under 10.
The number of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, cases also continues to increase, along with COVID-19 case counts and hospitalizations, he said.
The situation has gotten worse since his last media briefing on Nov. 18, when he urged New Brunswickers to help change "worrisome" course of the triple threat of respiratory viruses by taking protective measures, such as wearing a mask indoors, limiting social contacts and staying home when ill.
'Call to action' hasn't helped
The simultaneous activity of these viruses is putting added pressure on strained hospitals and is impacting the education system and workplaces through high rates of absences, he said.
Léger had hoped sharing his concerns last month would "serve as a call to action."
But he remains very concerned, he said, particularly with holiday gatherings quickly approaching.
Léger warned he expects to see an increase in respiratory virus activity across the province after the holidays, "unless we all adopt many of these [protective] strategies."
Asked why he doesn't recommend the government impose some mandatory protective measures in advance of the holidays, he said it's something Public Health continues to "discus and review."
"These are measures that … remove people's liberties to make decisions on their own so they're certainly not taken lightly. And there are a number of factors that need to be carefully weighed before we make those decisions.
"We don't feel that we're there at this point. But certainly, if we do feel that we get there eventually we will certainly make sure that that gets communicated to New Brunswickers."
6 more flu deaths
The flu killed another six New Bunswickers between Nov. 27 and Dec. 3, raising the total number of deaths so far this season to 20, the latest influenza report, posted Tuesday, shows.
The victims have ranged from their 30s to their 90s, according to the Department of Health. They died between Oct. 20 and Nov. 28, said spokesperson Adam Bowie.
No other details about the victims, such as any underlying health conditions or their vaccination status, have been released.
The province's flu death toll all of last season was five.
The 836 lab-confirmed cases reported during the week in question, referred to as week 48, is the highest ever recorded since the province started influenza reporting during the 2005-06 season, Léger told reporters.
The previous record occurred during the 2009-10 season, when 712 cases were confirmed, according to the department.
The 115 flu hospitalizations is nearly double the province's previous record high of 69 in January 2019, Léger said.
He noted the province is doing "a lot more testing" than in previous years. "That additional testing could account for part of the increase in cases or even hospitalizations that may have been missed in previous years," he said.
"Nevertheless, an increase in respiratory virus activity was expected this year, which is reflected in part through this testing."
The test positivity rate is also continuing to increase, he said, but remains below the historical high.
Flu shots still 10% below last year
As of Dec. 12, a total of 196,976 influenza vaccines have been administered, according to the Department of Health. That's down about 10 per cent from the 219,475 vaccines administered at the same time last year.
"It's important to note that flu immunizations began a week earlier last season, and some changes around the reporting process for pharmacies and primary care providers may be contributing to a lag in the reporting of this data," the department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
In B.C., where six children have died after contracting influenza this fall, the government launched a flu vaccine clinic blitz last Friday. It opened drop-in clinics across the province for all residents aged six months and older throughout the weekend.
Asked why New Brunswick isn't offering something similar, Léger did not answer directly, but did say the lower than usual vaccination rates are a concern.
"We do want to message that and emphasize the importance of getting [the] flu vaccine," he said, noting there is availability of doses and clinics.
"We are looking at increasing our messaging around our campaign to encourage people to do that," he added, without providing any specifics.
Of the shots administered so far, about 8,164 have been for children aged six months to eight years, and 7,814 for youth aged nine to 18 years.
A total of 83,317 shots have been administered to people aged 19 to 64 years, and about 97,681 have been provided to those aged 65 years or older.
May hold public update in future
Léger held the media availability via Zoom, along with Greg Doiron, vice-president of clinical operations for the Horizon Health Network, and Sharon Smyth-Okana, vice-president of clinical services for the Vitalité Health Network.
Asked why he didn't hold a public news conference instead, Léger said he feels media briefings are "quite effective" at getting information out to New Brunswickers.
"But certainly [it's] something that we will look at going forward," he said.
It's been months since Public Health held a public update.
The opposition has repeatedly called for a public update. Last month, Liberal health critic Rob McKee, the leader of the Official Opposition, alleged he was "being muzzled" by the Higgs government.
On Tuesday, Léger denied the government has any sway on when he holds updates and whether they are available to the public.
"I've always committed to making sure that I would communicate with New Brunswickers when there were important messages to share," he said.
"I do remain committed to doing that and will continue to do so and feel that I'm quite able to make those decisions on my own, as part of Public Health."
N.B. breaks record for flu cases and hospitalizations, as RSV and COVID-19 cases climb - CBC.ca
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