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Flu season: Canadian hospitals say staff and visitors need to be vaccinated or wear a mask

It was surely as heartbreaking as it was disappointing when a children’s choir learned an upcoming performance at a British Columbia senior’s centre would be cancelled because not all of the children had received flu vaccinations.

According to CBC News, the Fort St. John’s Northern Lights Youth Choir was warned their visit would be scuttled by a new policy in the province, which requires all visitors to healthcare centres to either get a flu shot or wear a mask while visiting.

Since singing in masks isn’t an option, and securing flu shots for all 60 children is unlikely, the performance is unlikely to proceed.

Such is the reality in Canada as flu season approaches and many hospitals search for ways to keep patients safe from infection.

Flu vaccinations are available for free across the country. But the debate isn’t about whether or not hospital visitors should vaccinate, it is about how to mitigate the damage done by those who choose not to.

While the conversation once orbited around the notion of making flu vaccinations mandatory, it is now more about what to do about those who do not, or cannot, get vaccinations.

British Columbia implemented a policy this week that says healthcare workers either have to get vaccinated or wear a mask while at work. And so do visitors to healthcare facilities. Anyone who wants to visit a loved one, both in hospital or at a long-term care home, will either have to get the shot or wear a mask.

Vancouver Coastal Health Medical Health Office Dr. Meena Dawar explains the policy this way:

The flu can be devastating for our patients because many have weakened immune systems and are more susceptible to serious illness. The best way to protect your loved ones in hospital is to get a flu shot, even if you’re normally a healthy individual. The shot will not only protect you from getting the flu, but also the people around you.

Several Ontario hospitals are following the same policy, including St. Michael’s Hospital and Sunnybrook in Toronto. And hospitals elsewhere in the country are coming up with their own guidelines.

The Qu’Appelle Health Region in Saskatchewan has implemented a shot-or-mask policy. Staff in the region, which encompasses Regina and Saskatoon, has a 75 per cent vaccination rate, according to CBC. The rest will have to wear a mask from now on.

“We want our patients to understand and appreciate why their caregivers may be wearing a mask, and also encourage visitors to join them in wearing a mask while visiting our facilities if they have not been immunized against influenza,” executive director John Paul Cullen told the network.

Most experts, including Canada’s chief public health officer, agree that vaccination is the best way to avoid spreading the flu. But is requiring masks a responsible alternative to flu vaccinations?

Influenza is a highly contagious virus that can cause health problems for anyone, but is especially concerning for those with weakened immune systems. The Public Health Agency of Canada says that about 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths every year can be attributed to the flu. And considering the flu can be spread for a full day before symptoms appear, it is vitally important that even those who don’t know they have it take steps to avoid the spread.

Masks seem to be the best way to do that. The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says there is “good evidence that surgical masks reduce the concentration of influenza virus expelled into the ambient air,” although “immunization is clearly superior in terms of protection from influenza.”

The BCCDC study does note that the studies that back masks as a flu deterrent are strong but not conclusive. Still, it may be the most feasible options when it comes to finding a Plan B for those who aren’t vaccinated.

More and more hospitals are implementing shot-or-mask guidelines. It’s a solid step forward. Even if it means some concerts have to be cancelled.