Health officials say there has been an upswing in confirmed influenza cases in Saskatchewan, but the numbers are in line with recent years.
As of Monday, there were 48 lab-confirmed cases of the flu in the province, said health ministry spokesperson Tyler McMurchy.
“We’re starting to see an upswing in flu cases,” he said. “But it’s pretty much like what happened last year and the year before.”
Last week, health officials in the U.S. warned that this year’s flu vaccine may not be as effective against the predominant influenza strain that is circulating.
Influenza A (H3N2) has emerged as the dominant virus this flu season in both Canada and the United States.
However, 52 per cent of the H3N2 virus samples collected from U.S. patients were “antigenically different,” meaning they had “drifted,” from the H3N2 component in this year’s flu vaccine, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
McMurchy said while it's too soon to predict how the flu season will unfold, this year's vaccine would still provide some protection, even if it isn't well matched to the predominant strain of the virus.
With files from CTVNews.ca Staff
