It’s a milder flu season for Northern Health, but don’t let that fool you into thinking the illness is weaker out there.
Doctor William Osei says they are dealing with 23 flu cases in the region right now, down from 47 at this time, last year.
He says part of that is due to the H1N1 outbreak last year, while this year, the H3N2 is the dominant strain, but hasn’t reached the “outbreak” point.
“What we are seeing, is the H3N2, which has affected other parts of the country, fortunately for us, we haven’t had the type of widespread transmission that the Lower Mainland and other provinces have seen,” Osei says.
Osei stresses the following preventative measures beyond just washing your hands and staying home when you feel ill.
“The best shot against the flu is the vaccine,” he says. “Once you do that, you will know there’s something in your blood that’s protecting you against the flu.”
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