Canada's influenza season began roughly seven weeks earlier than usual this year, Global News reports. Health Canada data showed 6.1% of tests detected flu in the week to 17 October, above the 5% epidemic threshold, compared with 0.8% in the same week of 2025.
British Columbia has been hit hardest so far, with positivity rates of 10% to 15% reported as early as late September. Doctors said the virus appeared to have arrived via the Pacific, after Australia's season ran late.
The dominant strain is H1N1, which usually leads to fewer hospital admissions than H3N2 years, though specialists stressed that flu can still make individuals very ill. This year's vaccine covers H1N1. Several provinces began offering shots early, and Ontario will open eligibility to everyone on 26 October.
Source: Global News Canada
