A spokesperson for Southern Health says this should be a more normal influenza season in our province. 

Dr. Davinder Singh is Medical Officer of Health. He says a typical flu season will begin in November, though it can start as early as October or as late as December. 

Dr. Singh admits it is always difficult to predict how flu season will run its course. But health officials keep a close eye on how things play out in the Southern Hemisphere, and he notes in places like Australia, South Africa and Chile, they have seen a resurgence of a more typical influenza season, similar to what was experienced prior to COVID-19.

"So, I think that we should anticipate that our influenza season could be similar to what we experienced prior to 2020," adds Dr. Singh.

As you may recall, reported cases of influenza were below normal for southern Manitoba in both 2020 and 2021. Dr. Singh says one of the unintended benefits of all the measures used to protect against COVID-19 is that it decreased the spread of other respiratory viruses, including influenza. 

"Influenza basically wasn't detected for a significant period of time in Manitoba," he explains. "And other respiratory viruses like RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) and Rhinovirus, other typical respiratory viruses were also dramatically reduced."

According to Dr. Singh, this year's standard influenza vaccine as well as the high dose influenza vaccine protect against four strains of influenza; two are for influenza A and two for influenza B. He notes the two influenza A strains cover H1N1 and H3N2, which are the typical strains of influenza that circulate year after year. And, though the vaccine also covers the two strains of influenza B that typically circulate, there can be changes in the genetic structure of the strains, meaning there can be a different performance year to year in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Flu shot clinics will start this week in Southern Health. The first clinic in Steinbach happens on Tuesday at Pat Porter Active Living Centre. But Dr. Singh reminds Manitobans that they do not need to wait for a clinic in order to receive their flu shot. He notes all of the providers who have opted to provide vaccine to the public and ordered from the province have already received their first shipment. This includes doctor's offices, pharmacies and public health for targeted immunization in places like personal care homes. 

Similar to how it can be a challenge to predict the severity of a flu season, Dr. Singh says it can also be difficult to guess how popular the flu shot will be from one year to the next. He notes prior to 2020, between 20 and 23 per cent of Manitobans would normally get the flu shot, with the highest uptick coming from those most at risk including seniors aged 65 and older and children between six months and five years of age. Dr. Singh says in 2020, during the pandemic, 32 per cent of Manitobans got the flu shot and then in 2021, that number dipped slightly to just under 29 per cent.

"If I was anticipating what this year could look like, I would say that it's likely somewhere between what we experienced prior to COVID-19 and what we experienced last year," suggests Dr. Singh. "So somewhere between 22 and 29 per cent."

Meanwhile, Dr. Singh would like to remind the public that the province has made the high dose flu vaccine freely available to all individuals aged 65 and older this year. He notes this vaccine has four times the amount of protein to help protect against influenza. 

And finally, Dr. Singh says there are specific segments of the population that are at higher risk of complications or hospitalization from influenza. This includes children between the ages of six months and five years, and those with chronic health conditions such as heart and lung disease, diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and neurological diseases. Others at higher risk include pregnant women, those aged 65 and older, as well as indigenous people and those residing in congregate living.