Public Health strongly recommending flu vaccination

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The Department of Health and Community Services is advising of an early and concerning start to this year’s influenza season in Canada and globally.

It is strongly recommended that everyone six months of age and older receive their flu shot as soon as possible.

Influenza activity is starting to rise in Newfoundland and Labrador, with almost all cases caused by influenza A (97.9 per cent). While most people reported to have influenza, this season were over the age of 65 (40.4 per cent), 25.5 per cent of infections were reported in children under 10 years of age.

While 20.1 per cent of people in the province have received the influenza vaccine, only 8.0 per cent of children under 10 years have received the vaccine.