‘Everybody owns public health’: Alberta officials bolster vaccine campaign amid rising flu rates

As flu cases continue to surge in the province, public health officials are urging people to get vaccinated. CTV News Edmonton's Marek Tkach has the details.

With influenza numbers hitting record highs across the province, the Alberta government is continuing to urge people to get vaccinated as hospitals activate surge and overcapacity protocols.

In a Friday afternoon press conference about provincial health care, government officials urged Albertans to consider what they can do to prepare for peak flu season.

“This year’s flu season is somewhat unusual, as circulating strains are not an exact match for this year’s vaccine, which may mean that more people will experience illness,” said Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange.

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“That said, immunization still plays an important role in reducing the risk of severe outcomes, particularly for young children and those that are at higher risk.”

Last week, Alberta recorded 2,314 cases of the flu, the vast majority being Influenza A (H3N2). Provincial data suggests that number is the highest recorded in one week than any other in the last 15 years. Since late November 2025, confirmed case rates have more than doubled.

As of Dec. 13, data shows the province has administered 894,689 vaccines. In the same week last year, that number was 914,177.

This year’s flu campaign media event was also later than in seasons prior, but LaGrange said that isn’t due to a lack of efforts to fight respiratory virus season

“From the very beginning we have had a very strong public campaign. We’ve spent over a half a million dollars already on that campaign,” she said.

“We’re going to continue to make sure that we get the news out that we are seeing an increase in influenza … As you go into that Christmas season, you’re visiting more and you’re interacting more and you’re in larger groups, just remember that the flu is there. It’s very real.”

Hospital capacity

Hospital and surgical health services minister Matt Jones said on Friday that it was no secret hospitals in the Calgary and Edmonton area were experiencing higher demand because of the increase in respiratory illness.

“These seasonal pressures are expected, and our system plans ahead every year to ensure care is available when Albertans need it,” he said.

• Related: Flu cases doubled in Alberta last week, government data shows

Among other surge protocols in the province, Jones said 336 hospital beds have been designated for respiratory virus season so far to accommodate shifting demands.

“Should demand continue to rise, we are prepared to open additional surge capacity and further accelerate patient flow safely.”

Peter Jamieson, a Calgary doctor and medical officer with Alberta Health Services, said other surge protocols include using overcapacity spaces, shifting patients to different areas of hospitals for care to minimize other department loads and “repatriating patients quickly back to their home communities.”

“This time of year in particular, patients would rather be close to home and close to families, so that’s an important focus for us,” he added.

While Jamieson confirmed that bigger Alberta cities were “exceptionally busy,” he assured residents it was still “safe and appropriate” to visit emergency if experiencing extreme complications.

He did highlight a few other options: Health Link, for example, is a provincial resource available 24/7 and can be accessed by calling 811.

For pediatric advice, Heal (Health Education and Learning) was created through the Alberta Children’s Hospital and Stollery Children’s Hospital to offer parents online tools for deciding how to best support their sick kid.

Appointment of new chief medical officer of health

Dr. Vivien Suttorp assumed the role of Alberta’s chief medical officer of health on Thursday. When asked about concerns of being scapegoated in health-care debates, she said the potential pitfalls of her new position did not sway her.

“One of my mottos is that everybody owns public health,” she continued. “I think, as was discussed today, it’s the responsibility of every individual … all of us, to improve the health of communities and overall populations.”

Suttorp went on to say the increase in flu numbers this year could be attributed to any number of factors, from vaccine effectiveness to type of flu strain, and other elements like outbreaks among senior and homeless populations.

“This whole prevention and preparedness is so fundamentally important,” she said.

“There’s a lot of work that goes on every year, the outbreak management guidelines are tweaked and supported … as far as the exact vaccine effectiveness right now, the projections are that there is still protection.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Marek Tkach, Nicole Weisberg