'So far, globally, there's been very little spillover infecting humans,' says Dr. Bonnie Henry. 'But it can happen.'
British Columbia's provincial health officer is urging people living or working on the province's poultry farms to "prioritize" getting influenza vaccinations as avian flu spreads among flocks this fall.
Scientists and health officials around the world have long been concerned that a mutation of avian flu into a strain that is easily transmissible among humans could trigger a global pandemic. She said health authorities are keeping a close eye on whether the return of migratory seabirds in the fall would bring about new outbreaks of avian flu, after spring migrations triggered the last cluster of outbreaks in the province.
The province said it has administered more than one million influenza vaccines and close to 850,000 COVID-19 shots since launching its respiratory immunization campaign in October. Provincial trends for respiratory illnesses have slowed, with data from the BC Centre for Disease Control showing sharp drops in hospitalization, deaths and positivity rates for COVID-19.
She said vaccination had proven effective against the latest and most prevalent strain of COVID-19, but British Columbians must remain vigilant since health officials are still learning about the virus's seasonal trends — and outbreaks may flare up periodically.
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