Sudbury area experiencing a non-existent flu season, health unit says

Sudbury's health unit isn't reporting any cases of the flu this year, thanks to people wearing masks and practising physical distancing.

Last year there were 44 reported cases of influenza in the region.

Public health nurse Spence Newell says the news is remarkable.

"Testing is at around the same levels they were at last year, but we really aren't seeing it in the community," he said.

"And I think, hats off to everyone in the community for helping with that."

While COVID pandemic measures like masking and physical distancing have helped reduce flu cases, so have vaccines.

Newell says thousands more flu vaccines have been administered this year.

"So 45,000 doses of influenza vaccine have been distributed to primary care provider offices. That doesn't include pharmacies," he said.

"And compared to last year, 41,000 doses were distributed to primary care provider offices."

Getting vaccinated for respiratory ailments is important, he said, as these kinds of illnesses can affect the most vulnerable the worst.

"And we want to make sure that we're protecting our most vulnerable populations, whether it be the flu or whether it be COVID-19," Newell said.

"It's not so much so just for you, yourself. It's for the other people in your community that you need to be following these measures and getting vaccinated against the flu too."

Just as the COVID-19 virus mutates, so does the flu virus.

"And that's part of what they do with the vaccinations for the flu ... they essentially look at what strains have been circulating in the southern hemisphere and then they try to make a very educated estimate of what would be circulating in the northern hemisphere when flu season rolls around here," he said.

"It often changes every year, the dominant strains that we see."

Newell says flu season typically runs between October and April, and people who haven't gotten a flu vaccine yet are still able to do so.

"The best time to get vaccinated is always yesterday, sort of like planting a tree, or that kind of thing. But we're still in the flu season. It can still confer protection. So if [people] are interested, they can call their family docs and arrange that or even go to the pharmacy, too."

He notes that people can get a flu shot as late as April.

Maintaining masking and physical distancing is critical as well.

"Just remember not to get complacent," Newell said. "And that applies not only for influenza, but for COVID-19 as well. And we will get through this."