This winter all visitors to Vancouver hospitals and nursing homes once again must get a flu shot or wear a surgical mask.
The policy is meant to protect those with weakened immune systems or are receiving treatment of one kind or another.
It covers all hospitals, residential homes and other health care facilities and is in effect until March 31, 2018.
Tiffany Akins, spokesperson for Vancouver Coastal Health, said the policy relies on an honour system.
“It’s not something that we police, but we hope and expect people to either have the flu shot or wear a mask when they are in any of our facilities,” Akins said.
Dr. Meena Dawar, a medical health officer with VCH, said although cases in hospital wards are less frequent than in residential care facilities, for people with underlying health conditions, the flu can complicate the primary treatment and lead to longer hospital stays.
“They are at high risk of complication from influenza, getting severely ill from influenza, being hospitalized, having a longer hospitalization, ending up in [intensive care] or even dying from influenza,” Dr. Dawar said.
A Nov. 30 report by the BC Centre of Disease Controlsays that for the time period between Nov. 12 and Nov. 25, flu rates are within the 10-year average and detection “remains at low but increasing levels, with a mix of influenza A and B.”
Detection of the flu in those with respiratory viruses was at 10 per cent, most commonly with the A-strain (H3N2) – the common flu – which can affect adults 20 years and older, and especially the elderly and kids. Five outbreaks were confirmed, four of which were at long-term care facilities.
FluWatch, an online influenza tracker by the federal government, says that flu season came early this year and detections of flus nationwide have increased to 11 per cent between Nov. 19 and Nov. 25, compared to six per cent for the same period last year.
Flu shots can be obtained at most pharmacies, walk-in clinics and doctor’s offices, free of charge. A full list of locations where people can get flu shots is listen on the VCH website.
