Dr. Brian Conway, medical director at the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre, is raising the alarm. British Columbia are preparing for a bad flu season like that experienced by Australian’s this past winter, which saw COVID-19 infections skyrocket to an all-time high. Further adding to the urgency of the situation, a new strain of the virus has become prominent. At the same time, vaccination rates in B.C. have plummeted from their pandemic high watermark.
Australia is becoming more and more known as a key outlier for British Columbia and many other countries. In fact, it’s known as the canary in the coal mine. Dr. Conway urges vigilance as we continue to monitor Australian data on cases, hospitalizations and the effectiveness of vaccination against currently circulating strains. He goes on to say that we trust them for case rates and hospitalization rates. Further, we need their expertise in evaluating how well the vaccine we’ve given so far is protecting people from the strains that are circulating. It can provide us an opportunity, if there’s a mismatch, to change the vaccine even at that last minute.
COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be available in B.C. right through mid-October. Dr. Conway and his team are on a mission to get the general population’s vaccination rate up to at least 50%. He’s looking for 75% or more vaccinated in people over 65. At present, vaccination coverage in older Australians is about 60-65% and even less than 30% in young adults.
The medical community is especially worried for the unvaccinated, who are able to spread COVID-19 to at-risk groups. Dr. Conway articulates the risks, stating, “You don’t get vaccinated, you get the flu, people go to the hospital, and older Canadians, especially those with other medical conditions, can get sick or die or lose their independence. This is something that is completely avoidable.”
Dr. Conway encourages residents to be vigilant about getting vaccinated this season. Except the signs all point to a especially difficult flu season here in B.C. Complacency can be deadly. Expanding on the worrying way that misinformation has fueled vaccine hesitancy and mistrust, he emphasizes the power of community. I do think that we’ve gotten lazy and that we have accepted information about vaccines that is not fact checkable. Vaccines have transformed the face of our world over the last two generations,” he points out.
With winter just around the corner, children six months and older are now recommended to receive flu shots. In turn, public health professionals are stepping up their efforts to promote vaccination. Dr. Conway’s goals for vaccination rates serve as a reminder of how vital it is to protect the most vulnerable among us.
