A Goal Within Our Reach: What the COVID-19 Pandemic has Taught Us about Improving the Uptake of Influenza Vaccinations in Canada
Every year, seasonal influenza causes one billion infections, between three and five million cases of severe illness, and between 290,000 and 650,000 deaths worldwide. In Canada, influenza causes an estimated 175,000 emergency department visits, 12,200 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths every year, and is one of the country’s top causes of death. Together with pneumonia, influenza currently ranks as the eighth leading cause of death in Canada, and before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was Canada’s leading vaccine-preventable cause of death. The basis of this report is a survey developed by the NIA to gain critical insights into Canadians’ perspectives and behaviours around influenza vaccination.
