B.C. health officials urge residents to take precautions as respiratory infections rise

'We are seeing a lot of illness at the moment," says Dr. Jennifer Vines, interim medical director for public health response at the B.C. CDC.

Published Jan 10, 2025  •  2 minute read

File photo of a sick child. Getty Images. Photo by Suzi Media Production /Getty Images/iStockphoto

B.C. health officials are urging residents to take precautions as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus infections rise in the province.

“It’s not too late to get the seasonal influenza vaccine,” said Dr. Jennifer Vines, interim medical director for public health response at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, on Friday.

The latest update from the B.C. CDC says influenza and RSV activity increased in the last week of 2024. It says COVID activity was stable, but showing early signs of an increase heading into the new year.

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“Everybody should be strongly considering staying home from work or school if they’re sick, covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands and doing all of those sort of preventive measures that we’re all very familiar with,” said Vines.

“Some of these illnesses are nasty. People feel terrible. So if you’re listening to your body, chances are your body is telling you to stay home and rest.”

There are some early signs that RSV might be at its peak, but Vines said caregivers should remain vigilant about high fevers, especially in young children.

“A lot of the numbers are similar to past seasons. There’s no alarm bells about this particular season, but we are seeing a lot of illness at the moment,” she added.

Health officials say most healthy children and adults can recover from respiratory illness at home with rest and over the counter medicine.

The best line of defence for people in high risk groups, such as elderly people with underlying medical conditions, young children, and pregnant people are vaccinations, said Vines.

“Most healthy children recover at home with supportive care but things for parents to watch for would be a persistent fever, any trouble breathing, or if your child just looks worse to you,” she said.

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“Young children in particular can get very tired and not interested in things. So I would urge parents to watch their children closely, and if they have concerns to call their personal health care provider.”

On Thursday, health officials said medical masks are once again required in B.C. health care facilities as cases of respiratory illness rise.

A statement from B.C.’s Health Ministry said workers, volunteers and visitors in facilities operated by provincial health authorities must wear masks in areas where patients are receiving care in order to prevent the spread of the flu, RSV and COVID-19.

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With files from The Canadian Press

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