B.C. Centre for Disease Control ramping up flu vaccine monitoring
Canadian Influenza Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network helps track the effectiveness of vaccines
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control is looking for family doctors and nurses to help track the effectiveness of this year's influenza vaccine, with the aim of preventing a repeat of last year's outbreak.
"Last year showed the lowest vaccine effectiveness we have recorded in more than ten years," said Dr. Skowronski, who runs the monitoring program
The monitoring program, known as the Canadian Sentinel Practitioner Surveillance Network (SPSN), was developed by Dr. Skowronski in 2004, and has since been adopted by 20 countries around the world to monitor vaccines.
It draws on swabs and information collected from patients seeking care for flu-like illness from one of the hundreds of participating community practitioners.
Skowronski hopes more doctors and nurses will agree to receive special kits to evaluate flu-like illnesses, and human responses to new vaccines.
"The World Health Organization has replaced last year's H3N2 vaccine with a new one and we want to check that it gives better protection for the coming season."
"The SPSN has grown to include sites in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec but we need more family doctors and nurses to contribute from B.C.," said Skowronski,
General practitioners in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are also encouraged to apply to join the Canadian SPSN network.
With files from The Canadian Press