Alberta is on track to experience its most catastrophic flu season ever recorded, as it currently falls short of the previous year's grim record by almost 30 fatalities.
With 197 reported deaths thus far this season, Alberta now stands as the second-deadliest flu season since public record-keeping began in 2009. The existing record, which reached 236 deaths during the winter of 2024-25, remains intact as we anticipate the flu season to wrap up in the next couple of months. To put this into perspective, the previous season had 171 deaths, while the 2022-23 season saw a total of 121 fatalities.
Craig Jenne, a microbiology, immunology, and infectious diseases professor at the University of Calgary, spoke with CBC and indicated that the province is poised to surpass those numbers significantly.
As of mid-January, there are currently 370 Albertans hospitalized due to the flu, with 26 of those patients requiring intensive care. Alberta's Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Vivien Suttorp, described this flu season as "unique," highlighting a surge in the influenza subtype H3N2, which deviates somewhat from earlier predictions.
She has observed that both test positivity rates and case counts are starting to decline, along with a reduction in hospital admissions for influenza A. While Dr. Suttorp suggested that the peak of the flu season may have already passed, she warned that the virus is likely to remain in circulation for several more months, bringing with it the possibility of severe cases.
Interestingly, only about one in five residents in Alberta have received their flu vaccination, marking one of the lowest immunization rates seen in recent years. Consequently, a growing number of individuals are being hospitalized due to secondary infections, such as pneumonia. Despite the positive trend in declining test positivity rates and case counts, the situation remains concerning.
