Province urged to boost vaccine messaging as flu cases spike

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This article was published 07/12/2022 (1044 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Doctors are urging the Manitoba government to boost its messaging about the importance of the flu shot amid low uptake, including among babies and pre-schoolers, as influenza cases continue to surge.

Dr. Candace Bradshaw, a family physician and president of Doctors Manitoba, weighed in on the importance of getting the public message out.

“More visibility is a good thing. Our tried, trusted and true professionals like Dr. Joss Reimer or Dr. (Brent) Roussin getting out there and reminding people to get vaccinated would be No. 1, but just getting the public messaging out there a bit more would be very helpful,” she said.

“People will respond.”

While the government released an update about flu cases to the media Wednesday, it didn’t hold a news conference with public health officials, including chief public health officer Roussin, or his deputy, Dr. Jazz Atwal.

Roussin became the face of the pandemic in the province, addressing Manitobans regularly to provide health information and answer questions about COVID-19. But his public appearances and vaccine messaging dwindled as restrictions were lifted in March.

This fall, Roussin spoke at a news conference on Sept. 28, when he was photographed administering the bivalent COVID vaccine. He appeared virtually a week earlier to emphasize the importance of immunization as the province prepared to launch its bivalent vaccine campaign.

Roussin also spoke to the Free Press about the importance of immunization on Nov. 15, then addressed Manitoba parents in a telephone town hall on Nov. 22.

On Wednesday, the Free Press requested an interview with Roussin or Atwal, and was awaiting a response.

Flu symptoms are to blame for about half of pediatric visits to the Children’s Hospital emergency department, but only about 10 per cent of children (between six months and 17 years old) have been vaccinated, the province said in its release.

It pointed to data from last week’s epidemiological report for respiratory viruses, which includes figures from the week of Nov. 20 to 26. It shows seven adults have died of the flu so far this season in Manitoba. No influenza deaths were reported among children.

Children six months and older are eligible for the flu shot. About 10.5 per cent of babies and toddlers under age five have received their shot, along with 10.2 per cent of children age five to 17.

Overall, about 20 per cent of Manitobans have received this year’s flu shot. The highest uptake has been among seniors, who are generally at the highest risk of becoming severely ill from the flu and its complications.

Hospital officials have provided regular updates about high patient volumes at the Children’s Hospital.

Bradshaw says at her family medicine clinic when a patient comes in for another reason, such as to check blood pressure, if the physician raises the issue of the flu shot, they will often get it.

“It’s that simple. We just need some reminders.”

“I think it would just boost the numbers quite a bit and right now that would be a really good thing.”

— with files from Danielle Da Silva

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca