Families are being invited to drop in to immunization clinics this weekend as part of a provincewide blitz to get flu shots into as many B.C. children’s arms as possible in time for Christmas.
Henry said B.C. has seen a “dramatic increase” in influenza this season. The flu circulating in B.C. now is primarily the H3N2 strain of influenza A, which Henry noted causes more severe illness across the board, particularly in young children and older people. She warned it can also lead to secondary bacterial infections, which can then cause severe pneumonia.
Just one in five B.C. children have flu shots as of Dec. 5 As of Monday’s briefing, vaccination rates among children and youth in B.C. remained low: 21 per cent for those aged six months to four years; 20 per cent for the five-to-11-year-olds; and 15 per cent for teenagers.Ballem said the province is planning what she dubbed a “vaccifluoza” to reach as many families as possible in a short time.
Good synopsis of the info that Henry/Dix/Ballem wanted to get across in the presser. Lots of info, links & the list of clinics in the vaxx 'blitz,' making it as easy as possible for parents to make the decision to immunize their kids against flu & to find a way of getting it done