The Kiwanis Nursing Home in Sussex has reopened after a month of influenza lockdowns. (CBC)

A nursing home in Sussex is lifting its visitor ban on Tuesday after a month of restrictions due to a rash of influenza.

The Kiwanis Nursing Home is reopening its doors after barring visitors for the past two weeks because half its residents and a third of its staff came down with the flu.

Back in mid-January, the 70-bed nursing home shut its doors to try and prevent any viruses from getting in.

It reopened for a week, but went back into lockdown when residents began developing flu-like symptoms.

Since Feb. 10, 34 residents and 35 staff have come down with the virus.

Although all residents and more than 80 per cent of staff got the flu shot in October, it didn't prevent the virus from spreading, said Keri Marr, the nursing home's administrator.

"We take the best precautions that we can and work with both our physicians and also [the office of] public health to do education with our staff, our residents and their families," said Marr.

'I didn't have very many visitors.'—Jim Crowe

The facility doesn't take the decision to close doors, even temporarily, lightly, Marr said.

To help prevent spread of the illness, group activities and eating in the dining room stopped during the outbreak, said Marr. Hand-washing protocols and use of surgical masks for staff and some residents were also reinforced.

"There isn't a 100 per cent guaranteed method or strategy that we could take to prevent something like this. We try and minimize the risk as much as we can," she said.

Flu outbreaks in nursing homes are of particular concern because residents have compromised health systems, said Marr.

Jim Crowe, 81, who has been living at the facility for six years, was one of the lucky residents who didn't fall ill.

He receives visits from is brothers every so often, but over the past month it's been difficult and at times impossible.

"I didn't have very many visitors," he said.

And while the home is scheduled to reopen Tuesday to visitors, Marr stresses for anyone planning a visit to wait a few days if they've been in contact with someone with the flu before coming in.

Influenza cases spike

The province’s public health office reports more than 1,200 cases of influenza have been identified this year.

By contrast, the office found 328 cases last year.

Dr. Denis Allard, the deputy chief medical officer of health, said the province's flu season started late in 2012 and it peaked at the end of January.

"The way it's coming now, we may get an earlier break for ourselves. By early March, maybe, most of it will be over, at least in New Brunswick," he said.

Allard said the strain of this year's vaccine matched the virus that's been going around but he said the flu mutates quickly.

“Manufacturers of vaccines and research really needs to find a better way to make the influenza vaccines but right now that's the best we have,” he said.

Allard said that's why many people who vaccinated still came down with the flu this year.