Alberta’s flu season is deadliest in recent memory as experts demand action
Influenza deaths in Alberta have reached new highs this year, according to nearly two decades of data, which has health experts worried.
According to Alberta’s respiratory virus dashboard, 250 people have died so far this flu season.
Although the province cautioned that there have been changes in the way it tracks flu deaths, this is the highest number recorded since at least 2009. When Alberta launched its universal seasonal flu vaccination program and the data became publicly available.
“This is quite concerning,” said Craig Jayne, deputy director of the Snyder Institute for Chronic Disease at the University of Calgary.
“It’s been setting new records for four years in a row and there’s really no indication at this point that this trend will change.”
The death rate, based on population, is also higher than previously recorded.
“This is representing a significant strain on the health care system in Alberta, a significant strain on families and, tragically, a loss to Albertans.”
In a statement, the province said it is difficult to estimate whether the number of flu deaths is an “all-time high” because flu deaths outside hospital were not routinely counted before the 2021-22 season. The 2022–23 season was the first year in which a complete count of community deaths was taken.
Data shared by the province in April 2025 showed that, at that time, community deaths accounted for 16 of the total deaths that season and were less than ten during each of the previous years.
“This flu year has been really tough from a hospital standpoint,” said Dr. Lenora Saxinger, an infectious disease physician at the University of Alberta who has seen many critically ill patients come on life support.
Saxinger said, “It would be wrong to generalize that influenza is always on the rise and that there is always difficulty because it is getting worse. The potential for it to be absolutely devastating to everything else in the provision of care is very high.”
Alberta’s respiratory virus dashboard shows that 12 Albertans who died from flu this season were between the ages of 20 and 49 (including three people in their twenties and three in their thirties). The rest were people aged 50 years and above.
No deaths of children have been reported so far this season.
been there There were 3,725 hospitalizations and 275 ICU admissions due to influenza.
CBC News requested an interview with Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Vivian Satorp, but was told she was not available.
“Like many jurisdictions across Canada and the world, Alberta experienced an early and exceptionally large wave of flu cases,” Tom McMillan, communications director for Alberta Primary and Preventive Health Services, said in an email.
“In Alberta, the wave peaked in late December and had subsided by about 90 (per cent) by mid-January.”
Alberta’s flu season is primarily driven by the spread of H3N2, a subtype of influenza A.
Influenza B emerged later in the season and is now the dominant strain.
“Influenza is still spreading, so we encourage all Albertans to take simple precautions to protect themselves and those around them,” McMillan said.
“Influenza vaccine is available free of charge and remains one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of serious illness.”
‘The perfect storm’
According to experts, a complex mix of factors is contributing to Alberta’s deadly flu season.
“I think it’s a perfect storm situation,” Saxinger said.
He said the flu peak was longer than usual and that changes in flu patterns since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic may have played a role.
“Community-wide immunity against all strains has been relatively low. And so we are seeing a more severe pandemic overall since flu has reemerged,” he said.
low vaccination rates and a vaccine mismatch — which may have contributed to the hesitation — According to Saxinger, these are also factors.
“In a mismatch year, people can still get the flu but people who have been vaccinated are less likely to go to the hospital or be in the ICU or worse,” Jane said.
low vaccination rates
Alberta’s respiratory virus dashboard It turns out 20.1 per cent of Albertans have received a flu vaccine so far this season.
This is slightly lower than last year’s total and the lowest offtake since 2010-11.
“We know that (vaccinations) continue to protect lives and it’s a tool that we are not using to its maximum capacity here in the province,” Jenn said.
Dr. Louis Hugo Francescotti is calling on the provincial government to take clear steps to address the situation.
“It’s not rocket science… even if you get an imperfect vaccine, it still reduces severity,” said Francescotti, a professor in the school of public health and emergency medicine at the University of Alberta.
“We need a province that says, ‘Vaccinations are important: they’re proven, they’re effective and they’re safe. We really encourage Albertans to do that and we’re going to make it easy for you to get vaccinated. We’re not going to put barriers in your way. We just won’t expect you to do it.'”
The Ministry of Primary and Preventive Health Services said a province-wide campaign promoting free flu shots included advertisements on radio, TV, print and social media platforms.
“As part of Budget 2026, we are investing $140 million to further strengthen vaccination efforts next year by increasing outreach and access to better protect Albertans during future respiratory virus seasons,” said Madison McKee, press secretary to the Minister of Primary and Preventive Health Services.
budget document Show that funding is allocated for routine childhood vaccines and seasonal respiratory virus vaccines.
McKee pointed to data This shows Alberta has administered slightly more doses of flu vaccine than it did last year.
“This is encouraging, especially given widely reported concerns that this year’s vaccine was poorly matched to the major circulating strain. The data do not support any suggestion that this year’s rollout was compromised,” she said.
Mackie said vaccination rates have declined since the pandemic in Alberta and elsewhere, with vaccination rates historically falling well below ideal targets.
Provincial data shows flu vaccination rates reached 37 per cent during the pandemic.
“This context does not diminish the importance of vaccination, but it does show that vaccination has not reached ideal levels over the past two decades,” McKee said.
For his part, Jenn said the province needs to start planning now for the next flu season.
“We have six or seven months to really think about what we can do better, how we can do it better and make sure these changes are made for the next flu season,” he said.
“Otherwise we can expect these record high deaths to continue in the province.”
