B.C. is in the midst of a "second wave" of the H1N1 flu pandemic, the provincial health officer said Friday.

"Compared to the rest of the country, we are seeing significantly higher numbers of influenza-like illness at this time," Dr. Perry Kendall said.

"This is one of the more complex influenza seasons I can remember."

Kendall made his comments during a news conference at the BC Centre for Disease Control, whose labs have been testing 700 samples a day.

Half of the samples have come back positive for influenza and just about all of those are positive for the H1N1 strain, Kendall said.

While most H1N1 cases have been mild to moderate, B.C. has recorded eight deaths and 78 hospitalizations since the outbreak.

Asked why B.C. has been particularly hard hit, Kendall said it's not unusual for influenza to move across the country in waves.

"Sometimes one province is relatively unaffected, whereas others are affected. As for why, somebody has to be first," he said.

Recent death

Seven of the eight people who have died in B.C. had underlying medical conditions. The most recent case -- involving the death of a woman in the Fraser Valley -- is still under investigation.

"We expect that some cases will occur in people who are previously healthy," Kendall said.

Not much is known about the woman.

Ritinder Harry, a spokeswoman for the BC Centre for Disease Control, confirmed to ctvbc.ca Thursday night that someone from the Fraser Valley had died from the virus, but that an investigation was still ongoing to see if the individual had underlying health conditions.

Joan Marshall, a spokeswoman for Fraser Health, told ctvbc.ca Friday that the victim was a woman but was unable to release more information about her, including her age.

Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin, a medical health officer with Fraser Health, told CTV News Friday that the woman had been hospitalized for a couple days.

The Public Health Agency of Canada says there have been 80 H1N1-related deaths in the country.

Vaccine questions

Kendall appeared at Friday's news conference with federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq and national public health officer Dr. David Butler-Jones.

Aglukkaq said the federal government is prepared to deal with increases in H1N1 cases.

"We have stockpiled antiviral medications in strategic locations throughout the country so that they can be distributed quickly, even to isolated communities if they are needed," she said.

The H1N1 vaccine is still in production and should be available in early November, Aglukkaq said.

She assured the public that the vaccine will be available to everyone who wants it.

However, questions have come up about what type of vaccine is safest for pregnant women.

Health officials say the first vaccine that will likely arrive in Canada contains the adjuvant additive, a chemical that increases potency.

Butler-Jones said pregnant women should take whatever vaccine comes first - adjuvanted or unadjuvanted - to protect themselves and their babies.

Kendall said he would not hesitate to recommend adjuvanted vaccines to pregnant women.

However, Ontario's chief medical officer of health maintains that pregnant women should wait and take the vaccine that doesn't contain adjuvant.

Aglukkaq said no vaccine will be released until "we are sure it is safe and effective."

Prevention

Kendall reiterated what medical experts have been saying for months about how best to prevent the spread of the virus:

Wash your hands frequently

Stay home when you're sick.

Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve.

High-risk individuals, including pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions, should talk to their doctors about other preventative measures.

The B.C. government has set up a website with more information about H1N1, including ways to check for symptoms, at www.healthlinkbc.ca

With files from The Canadian Press