As Temperatures continue to drop across the Peace Region, cases of respiratory illnesses such as influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 are beginning to rise.
Northern Health said respiratory illness season typically peaks between the months of November and April.
Medical experts said COVID-19 is circulating at a moderate pace across the province this year.
Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre President and Medical Director Dr. Brian Conway said COVID-19 cases have been on the rise since August. He added that it’s still too early to see an increase in RSV, and flu activity remains low so far.
Northern Health warns that these viruses can cause serious health risks. “Every year, about 1,400 people in BC die from the flu and complications of this, such as pneumonia,” said the health authority.
Medical Health Officer Dr. Rakel Kling said people need to make the decision that is best for them when it comes to vaccination.
However, she added that immunization is very important, especially for those at higher risk of developing serious health issues.
“We see severe outcomes every year,” she said, adding that seniors, people with chronic conditions, children, and pregnant women are among those at higher risk.
Northern Health has rolled out its immunization campaign for the season. Dr. Conway said vaccination rates in Northeast BC have decreased at a fast pace since COVID-19.
“Vaccination rates are going down over time, and that trend predated the COVID-19 pandemic, but was also accelerated by it,” said Dr. Conway.
He added that there appears to be more vaccine hesitancy in the northern BC, partly due to a sense of fatigue after multiple rounds of vaccination during the pandemic.
“This new culture, where vaccines are not given the importance that we once gave them, leads to lower vaccination rates,” said Dr. Conway.
He said vaccine fatigue has been generalized to other viruses, which he called a mistake.
Dr. Conway noted that now is the perfect time to get vaccinated before flu and COVID-19 activity picks up.
“It certainly has the potential to be a huge problem going forward because vaccines have changed the face of the world, and we’re not telling that story enough,” Dr. Conway
One recent example is the high number of measles cases in Northeast BC.
According to the BC Centre for Disease Control, the Northern Health region is responsible for approximately 71 percent of all cases across the province, largely due to low vaccination rates.
Dr. Conway said the region could also see more respiratory illnesses cases this year for that same reason.