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EDMONTON — Influenza deaths and hospitalizations in Alberta have continued to rise this winter, even as provincial health officials say flu activity is showing signs of peaking.
The latest update to Alberta’s respiratory virus surveillance data shows 73 confirmed flu related deaths this season, including 15 added in recent days. More than 2,300 people have been hospitalized, a sharp increase compared with the same point last winter, when deaths and admissions were significantly lower.
Health officials say the surge has been driven largely by Influenza A H3N2, which has circulated earlier and more intensely than in recent years. Provincial data show test positivity rates and new case counts have now levelled off following a steep rise in December, while weekly flu hospitalizations have dropped by more than half compared with the previous reporting period.
Primary and Preventative Health Services says those trends suggest Alberta may have passed the peak of the flu season, though officials caution it is too early to draw firm conclusions. Hospitals and emergency departments remain under strain, consistent with severe respiratory virus seasons.
Influenza B activity is now increasing across the province. Health officials say that strain can lead to a smaller secondary wave later in the season, though outcomes are typically less severe and vaccination coverage tends to offer stronger protection.
Nearly one million Albertans have received a flu shot so far this season, placing uptake roughly in line with last year but still well below vaccination levels seen in the years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic. Health officials continue to urge immunization as a key tool to reduce serious illness and pressure on the health care system.
Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Vivien Suttor, has previously warned the dominance of Influenza A this season has contributed to higher hospitalization rates. Researchers at the University of Alberta and the Institute of Health Economics have also reported forecasting challenges, noting this season’s case counts exceeded expectations even though the timing of the peak followed historical patterns.
Health authorities say they are cautiously optimistic flu activity will continue to decline in the coming weeks, while emphasizing hospitals are likely to remain busy through the remainder of respiratory virus season.
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