This year’s flu vaccine is about 72 per cent effective against the H1N1 dominant flu strain.

That’s according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control’s Dr. Danuta Skowronski, who adds that in the province the flu season is on the decline, having peaked around the holidays.

“Even on the downslope, flu activity can remain heightened for several weeks,” she said, speaking on NL Newsday. “It doesn’t just plummet to baseline levels, so still a few more weeks of elevated activity.”

“It’s also important to remember that very often Influenza B appears as an end of season wave following the influenza A.”

The effectiveness rate is a huge improvement over last year’s vaccine, which was just about 20 per cent effective against the H3N2 strain.

That said, across Canada, seven children have died, with the H1N1 strain hitting kids and teenagers the hardest.

“My focus is really on people with high-risk conditions and making sure that people with conditions that put them at greater risk of serious complications like hospitalization and death get vaccinated,” Skowronski added.

“For me, those levels are not high enough and it’s particularly tragic.”

Skowronski adds it’s not too late to still get a flu shot.