ICU admissions up for flu-related illness
Last Updated: Thursday, November 5, 2009 | 10:26 PM ET
CBC News
Flu admissions to ICU are up this week in Canada. (CBC)Flu activity is three times higher this week than last week, Canada's chief public health officer said Thursday.
The higher activity is based on admissions to hospitals and intensive care units, as well as the number of regions reporting widespread flu, Dr. David Butler-Jones told a news conference in Ottawa.
"We expect to hear of more illness and deaths in the coming weeks as we go further into the second wave," Butler-Jones said Thursday.
The key measure is ICU admissions, he said.
As of last week, Canada was below the peak weeks of June in terms of overall flu activity, and is now catching up to that level. There are no signs that H1N1 is starting to tail off, and it will continue to increase, Butler-Jones said.
More than 6.5 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be delivered to provinces and territories by Friday, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said. An additional 1.8 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine will be available next week, she said.
Aglukkaq urged Canadians who are not in a priority group for the vaccine to wait until more vulnerable people are immunized.
Doses of the vaccine that don't contain an adjuvant or booster have also been shipped to provinces and territories, federal health officials said. Those doses were purchased from Australia.
An adjuvant is a substance added to a vaccine to stimulate a stronger immune response. National guidelines recommend that pregnant women get the adjuvant-free version of the H1N1 vaccine because there has not been a lot of research done on the use of adjuvants during pregnancy.
The adjuvant-free form of the vaccine is recommended for women in all stages of pregnancy, Butler-Jones said.
Queue jumping
On Wednesday, Alberta Health Services said that a staff member was fired after a probe into why some members of the Calgary Flames hockey team and their families received the H1N1 shot without lining up at public clinics.
Members of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and junior hockey teams have also received the H1N1 vaccine.
"We do love our hockey," said Butler-Jones. But hockey players are at no greater risk than other Canadians unless they have underlying medical conditions such as diabetes.
Butler-Jones added he's pleased the players were so keen, and that in a "matter of weeks" everyone in Canada will be eligible to receive the shots.
Antiviral supplies
He advised people with medical conditions such as asthma or diabetes to be ready to take an antiviral drug such as Tamiflu or Relenza to help fight off a flu infection.
"So, after two or three days, if you're getting sicker, getting on an antiviral at Day 3 or Day 4 or Day 5 can mean the difference between hospitalization or not."
Canadians continue to need a prescription for antivirals. Norway is temporarily making it easier for its citizens to access the drugs by making them available without a prescription.
It's an innovative move, said Dr. Keiji Fukuda of the World Health Organization.
"It can also reduce the pressure being seen in the health care system," Fukuda said.
The Public Health Agency of Canada reports that, as of Nov. 3, swine flu had killed 101 people. More than 1,700 people have been hospitalized since the virus appeared in April.
By comparison, the agency's website said seasonal flu sends about 20,000 Canadians to hospital each year. Between 4,000 and 8,000 Canadians die of influenza and its complications annually on average, depending on the severity of the season.
