‘Doctors say I am the poster boy for flu shots’: Calgary man shares influenza story

The young, elderly or immunocompromised are likely to be hit hard by flu, but a young, fit Calgarian is sharing a scary experience.

For the third year in a row, Alberta is setting a record for influenza deaths, and one Calgary man says he is lucky he wasn’t one of them.

Jared Exner is home but still has to wear an IV bag and can’t work or drive for months after spending four weeks in hospital with the flu.

“My wife was terrified. I didn’t realize how serious it was because I don’t have much memory of that first week,” he said.

The otherwise active and healthy 33-year-old started with typical flu symptoms, but hours later his condition worsened, with a sinus infection swelling his eye shut, so his wife took him to the hospital.

“They admitted me to a room and knew that I had influenza A that led to encephalitis of the brain, which explained the confusion, all the seizures. I didn’t know I was in a hospital, didn’t know what day or month it was,” he said.

That swelling led to a brain abscess.

While it was a close call for Exner, it’s been a deadly flu season for Alberta, with 226 people dying due to influenza so far this season, and the flu death rate is rising, too.

“There’s a strong association between lack of vaccine uptake and a record number of deaths,” said Craig Jenne, infectious disease specialist with the University of Calgary.

This season, only 21 per cent of Albertans got flu shots.

“Tracking the flu shot itself, this is the lowest uptake since we’ve offered a public flu vaccine campaign,” said Jenne.

Exner said he typically does get a flu shot.

He did not this time, but will next season.

“Makes me want to get my flu shot immediately,” said Exner.

“Doctors say I am the poster boy for flu shots. I know everyone has their own opinions, but I will definitely get mine next year.”

While Exner is thankful to be home with his family, more than 100 people remain in Alberta hospitals—six of them in ICU—with the flu.

Alberta Health says, “While this season’s program has ended, Alberta will continue offering a universal influenza immunization program in 2025–2026 for everyone six months of age and older, with more than 1,700 access points across the province and ongoing public awareness efforts.”