McMaster doctors warn upcoming flu season to be more 'intense and pronounced' than previous years

Doctors from McMaster University expect a resurgence of flu in Canada this season, and are stressing the importance of preventive measures.

With pharmacies experiencingflu and cold medicine shortages in recent months,several Hamilton-basedimmunologists urge Canadians to consider staying at home, masking, and flu vaccines to protect against sickness over the next few months.

"I certainly think that we should expect that we will see a more intense flu season than we've seen over the past couple of years, largely due to the easing of public health measures," saidDr. Matthew Miller of the McMaster Immunology Research Centre.

Miller, an immunologist,and Dr. Dawn Bowdish, also from the research centre, useflu data, provided bypharmaceutical companyAspen Pharmacare, from Australia, New Zealand and African countriesto gauge what sort of flu season Canada will see in winter.

Both doctorstold CBCthey do not receive any financialcompensation fromAspen Pharmacare.

Countries in the SouthernHemisphere are resolving their flu seasons right now, giving insight totrends that maybe avoidedin the north. Doctors make predictions on data from countries that have passed their fluseason which canshowpatterns of lab-confirmed flu cases and flu-shot efficacy.

Data from Aspen Australia, for instance, showsthat children five years old and younger, and between 10 and 19,were more susceptible to the current strain of flu.

"Children tend to be the ones who are the most likely to get infected, have severe outcomes,and then bring the flu home to family members," said Bowdish.

Bowdishsaid it's important to practise stay-at-home measures if you're sick, whether you believeyou have COVID-19 or not. She advisesto try not to go to work when sick.

With children, she said,definitely keep them home. She also advises not togive children a fever suppressant in order to send them back to school.

"Even though they might be feeling OK, they can still be spreading that illness," said Bowdish.

Children's medicine shortage

In a statement Oct. 7, Health Canada said it isworking with medicine manufacturers to catch up to the demand for children's acetaminophen (like Tylenol) and ibuprofen (like Advil).

It saidwhile it hasapproached several manufacturers, supplies in shops across Canada may continue to face "intermittent shortages" for the time being and to speak to health-care personnel in an emergency situation.

In the meantime, both Hamilton doctors suggest sickness-preventive measures like masking or taking a flu vaccine.

"Knowing that we'll almost certainly have a resurgence of flu this yearI think underscores the need to make sure we take the appropriate [preventive]measures to avoid overwhelming the health-care system again," said Miller.

The presence of boththe flu virus and COVID-19hitting at once this upcoming winter has thepotential to overwhelm Canada's already over-stressed hospitals.

On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alsoencouraged Canadians to update theirCOVID-19 and flu vaccinations.

"If we are able to get a high enough of level of vaccination, we reduce the danger of having to take other health measures tomake sure that we're all safe and not overloading our hospitals," Trudeausaid.

Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr.Kieran Mooresaid last week thathe'll recommend the return of mask mandates ifthe province'shealth care system becomes too strained.

The data from Aspen Australia showedflu vaccines are about 40 to 60 per cent effective at preventing influenza spread or severe symptoms after getting the flu.

"But one of the things that's very, very important with influenza is getting some vaccines back in the arms of children," saidBowdish.

"It's been shown again and again that flu vaccines, vaccinating children, prevents or reduces the amount of influenza in entire communities."