Hospitals prepare for intense flu season as doctors urge public to get vaccine

Hospitals across Canada are bracing for an intense influenza season, driven by worries of lower vaccine uptake and concerns that this year’s shot is a mismatch for circulating strains.

Canada’s flu season has officially begun, according to new data released on Friday from the Public Health Agency of Canada. It shows that the percentage of positive tests for the virus surpassed the 5-per-cent seasonal threshold in the week ending Nov. 15.