Medical officer of health Doctor William Libich says immunization rates for the north are lower than the provincial average and there has been a spike in children seeking care for respiratory illnesses in the region compared to previous years.......

“There’s been an increase in the number of pediatric patients visiting the northern clinics and emergency departments and that’s coming straight from our medical leads and our emergency department physicians.  We’re seeing a marked increase in influenza and other respiratory pathogens in children.  We don’t think things are worse in the north compared to the south and Winnipeg but we know that the southern rates are very high, much higher that we would normally expect this time of year.”

Libich says there’s still a lot of vaccine available for people who haven’t gotten the flu shot or COVID-19 booster and he encourages residents to visit protect mb DOT ca to find out where they can get vaccinated.