It’s that time of year again.
According to Alberta Health Services, 596 cases of the flu have been confirmed in the Calgary area — a higher amount than any other city in Alberta.
This alarming stat comes after last year’s 25 flu-related deaths and nearly 1,000 confirmed influenza cases in Calgary alone.
Currently, Calgary has seen 65% of Alberta’s 910 total confirmed flu cases in the 2018/2019 season.
2018/19 Influenza Season/Alberta Health Services
The data shows that a similar amount of people between Edmonton and Calgary have been immunized, however, almost four times the amount of Calgarians have contracted the flu.
Clinics have been administering the free vaccine for just over a month now to 349,972 Calgarians, though this accounts for just under 30% of the total population.
The past few years have shown a steady increase in administered influenza shots. Taking into consideration that flu season is still in its early stages for the year, the nearly 350,000 shots already administered is a significant improvement over past years.
AHS will be releasing weekly data tracking confirmed cases, locations, deaths related to, and more in regards to the spread of the virus. According to the second week of data, released on November 14, no deaths have been reported so far this season.
Immunizations are available to all Calgarians over the age of five, free of charge, at any AHS clinic, pharmacist, or physician.
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