Flu deaths in Alberta highest on record, says Alberta Health Services
CBC News | Posted: May 18, 2015 3:00 PM | Last Updated: May 19, 2015
Virus mutation and surging populations contribute to high number
It's not the kind of record you want to see.
The latest flu season in Alberta was the deadliest on record since the mid-1990s when reliable statistics began being kept.
- Flu shot no match for H3N2 strain reported across Canada
- Quebec flu cases peak early due to H3N2
- Flu vaccine may be less effective this winter, CDC says
There were 103 flu-related deaths, according to Alberta Health Services, which is more than double the number of deaths from the year before.
There were 42 deaths in Calgary and 30 in Edmonton, with just over 1,800 people hospitalized across the province.
Most of the fatalities were seniors, and many of the outbreaks happened in senior care centres.
Dr. Joanna Oda, with AHS in Edmonton, links the high number of deaths with the mutation of the H3N2 virus, which reduced the effectiveness of this year's vaccine.
Alberta's increased population should also be factored into the numbers, she said.