Dr. Bonnie Henry acknowledges flu deaths of B.C. children, promises weekly reports going forward
B.C. health officials will now be reporting on the number of pediatric deaths from the flu weekly, a change that comes in the wake of an alarming number of fatalities this season.
A statement from provincial health officer Dr. Bonne Henry issued Thursday marks the first formal acknowledgment by the province's top doctor that six children and youth have died in the province, something CTV News first reported Tuesday. In a typical flu season, there are five or six deaths in the entire country.
"This is an unusual season with unusual characteristics, including an early and intense surge in cases. With this unusual pattern, enhanced surveillance has been implemented that includes reporting of pediatric influenza-related deaths to public health officials," Henry wrote.
"As the information is confirmed, updates on pediatric influenza-related deaths will be posted weekly as part of the respiratory surveillance summaries on the (B.C. Centre for Disease Control) website."
Henry also provided the general ages of the six kids, saying one was younger than five, three were between five and nine, and two were between 15 and 19. She also said that while the deaths are still being investigated, some of the children and youth contracted bacterial infections, which can be a complication of the flu.
"Death associated with influenza in previously healthy children is a tragic, but rare event and is especially rare in school-age children and teens," she continued.
"While children typically have the highest respiratory virus infection rates, most children with influenza and other respiratory viruses typically recover safely at home without the need for medical intervention."
However, she also said there are kids who are at a higher risk than others, including infants and toddlers, those with chronic conditions, those that are "very obese" and those that have taken Aspirin or ASA (acetylsalicylic acid) for "long periods of time."
Parents and caregivers of those children, Henry added, should ask a doctor about Tamiflu, an anti-viral medication which can be helpful if taken within 12 to 48 hours of the onset of symptoms.
Henry's statement re-iterated health officials' advice to get all kids over six months old vaccinated, to stay home when sick, to wash hands frequently and to wear a mask "when appropriate."
Clinics across the Lower Mainland are opening up walk-in appointments for kids under 12 during a so-called "blitz."
Information about where children can get the shot is available here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.