Flu blamed for deaths of 6 children across B.C. in recent weeks, doctors told
Doctors have been told six children across British Columbia have died from the flu over the past two weeks, CTV News has learned.
The information was shared Monday at a meeting that involved staff from BC Children’s Hospital and BC Women’s Hospital, as well as other pediatric specialists.
There were at least two toddlers among the children who died. Some were in treatment, while others did not make it make it to BC Children’s Hospital. They came from various parts of the province, including Richmond and West Kelowna.
Recording that many deaths over such a short period of time is unusual for B.C. – normally, one or two children will die from the disease over the course of an entire flu season.
Six-year-old Danielle Cabana, who was a member of the Richmond Raven U7 girls hockey team, died after experiencing complications from the flu at the end of November.
Loved ones described her as “a real firecracker.”
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry warned Monday that Influenza A virus subtype H3N2 “does tend do cause more severe illness across the board, but particularly in young children and in older people.”
CTV News has been trying to learn exactly how many people have been dying from respiratory illnesses, separated by age, but despite repeated requests for the information, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control has not provided any statistics.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.