After a spike in flu activity over the holidays, cases in Waterloo Region are now going down. In its weekly update of the Integrated Respiratory Disease Surveillance Report, Public Health says there were 16 lab-confirmed cases of influenza during the week of January 11-17. That’s 29 fewer than the previous week. “We’re kind of right in the middle of the flu season,” says David Aoki, the Director of Infectious Disease and Chief Nursing Officer at Region of Waterloo Public Health. This year’s flu season started a bit earlier than previous years, with a big jump in cases coming at the start of December, Aoki describes. Cases continued to climb, peaking over the Christmas season, and have started to taper off the last three weeks, though Aoki warns they may climb again. “Some flu seasons have multiple peaks, so we may start to see it pick up again.” Public Health and local pharmacists say they did see a lot of people getting flu shots earlier in the season, but it’s still not too late for those who did not. “It’s not rare to see a second peak sometimes during these seasons, especially with the cold weather that we’re seeing right now. A lot of people gathered inside, it can kind of be quite a recipe for disaster,” says Pascal Niccoli, a pharmacist who owns Shoppers Drug Mart pharmacies at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, and Fischer Hallman and Huron Road in Kitchener. Someone may want to consider a shot if they are spending time around older individuals, a new baby or others who may develop complications if they get the flu. “It’s not only to keep you safe, but also to keep those around you safe, and that’s a message that’s really important to remember, especially for some of the younger patients who maybe don’t feel like they’re vulnerable or at risk,” Niccoli says. “They certainly are around people who are at risk and it’s important to keep them safe, too.” People who are travelling may also want to get immunized. “Airplanes are a great place for transmission because you sit very close to people for three, four or even more hours,” Aoki says. “One person on that plane is sick, and it gets everybody sick. So, travel is an excellent reason if you haven’t considered it, to consider getting your shots.” For most people it will take one to two weeks to develop immunity after receiving the shot, Aoki says. Pharmacies like Niccoli’s are still providing flu shots; walk-ins are accepted though it’s recommended people call ahead or book online to ensure availability of the vaccine. Aoki warns that influenza activity will continue into the spring. “We will continue to see virus circulation even at these lower levels throughout probably until April.”
