Hospitalization rates for illnesses like COVID, flu have doubled since pre-pandemic, report finds

submitted by cm0002 to covid19 1 points | 0 comments https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/hospital-rates-vaccine-illnesses-9.7165119 > Years after the virus that causes COVID-19 kicked off a global pandemic, it’s still sending thousands of Canadians into hospital each year alongside other respiratory infections — despite a suite of vaccines that can slash someone’s risk of serious illness. > > Striking new data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows hospitalization rates for vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases more than doubled in 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels, all while vaccination rates are backsliding. > > There were 142 hospitalizations for every 100,000 Canadians that year, the data shows, up from roughly 66 per 100,000 in 2019. > > Yet seasonal vaccination uptake for both COVID and flu shots has dropped. > > Federal figures suggest only 26 per cent of Canadian adults were vaccinated for COVID in 2024 — a dramatic drop from when shots were first rolled out mid-pandemic and lineups at vaccination clinics often spanned multiple city blocks.