| Influenza causes outbreaks each winter. The very young and the very old usually have the most severe illness. Influenza pandemics cause more illness and more serious outcomes like hospitalization and death affecting all age groups, including young adults and this is different from usual influenza. This can put a lot of pressure on the health care system and because of people being sick and away this can affect all sectors of the community.
Canada has been working for many years on planning for a pandemic and each province, including British Columbia has also developed guidelines. These include guidance around public health measures, vaccines and antivirals. More information can be found at the links Web Resources section of this page. |