Owen Wiseman
Medical Advisor
Influenza activity in Canada has accelerated rapidly over the past two weeks, marking one of the earliest and most intense starts to flu season in recent years. Public health surveillance, hospital reporting, national media coverage, and even what I’m seeing in my own clinic all point to the same conclusion: influenza A is circulating widely. Hospital systems are starting to buckle under the strain, and communities are entering peak season earlier than expected.
A Sharp Rise Nationwide
According to national respiratory virus surveillance data, influenza percent positivity in Canada reached 20.2% for the week ending on December 6th. That’s up 8.3% from just two weeks prior!2
This rate signals widespread community transmission and places influenza among the dominant respiratory viruses currently making the rounds.
To put this in context, ‘percent positivity’ functions like a weather radar for infectious disease. Or even more relatable is thinking about it like highway congestion. When only a few cars are on the road, movement is smooth and delays are rare. As traffic builds toward rush hour, even short trips become unpredictable. In the same way, as influenza percent positivity rises, the virus becomes harder to avoid. Routine interactions (i.e. at school, work, or on public transit) are increasingly likely to involve exposure, and the risk of catching the flu rises sharply even without prolonged or close contact.
Percent positivity over 10% typically reflects sustained transmission through the community. But going above 20% this early has public health experts concerned…
Pediatric Impacts are Emerging Early
One of the most troubling developments has been the burden on children.2In Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, a tragic situation has occurred. Three influenza-related deaths in kids aged five to nine during the first two weeks of December. These deaths were associated with influenza A complications and happened alongside a spike in hospitalizations.3
At the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), clinicians reported eight times more influenza-positive pediatric cases in November compared to the same month last year, with hospital admissions doubling. Physicians emphasized that many young ones presenting with severe illness had not received this years seasonal vaccine.
Nationally, pediatric hospitals are reporting similar patterns.
Emergency department visits for influenza-like illness are increasing earlier than expected, prompting warnings that capacity pressures typically seen later in winter may arrive sooner.
Alberta Emergency Departments Under Pressure
Western Canada is seeing parallel trends.
In Alberta, emergency physicians have described emergency departments being overwhelmed by influenza patients, with the provincial influenza positivity rate reaching 17.8% in late November.
By the end of November, 519 Albertans had already been hospitalized with influenza, including ICU admissions and 15 influenza-related deaths.4Health leaders have cautioned that these figures likely represent the leading edge of the season…rather than its peak.
Historically, regional surges often precede broader national trends, raising concern that other provinces might experience similar pressures in the coming weeks.
The Role of Influenza A (H3N2)
Much of the current activity is being driven by influenza A (H3N2), a strain historically associated with more severe illness, particularly in children and older adults.
International surveillance bodies, including those monitoring Europe and the UK, have identified the emergence of a newer H3N2 subclade.5Laboratory analyses suggest that this strain may differ slightly from the vaccine reference strain, leading to discussion of a possible “partial mismatch.” A “partial mismatch” doesn’t mean the flu vaccine doesn’t work. It’s more like wearing a winter coat on a colder-than-expected day! It may not be perfect, but it still offers meaningful protection compared to none at all.
How Echinaforce Can Help “Fill the Gaps” in a Mismatch Year
The vaccine remains the foundation for reducing severe outcomes, while additional, evidence-based strategies can help lower the overall chance of getting sick and developing complications.
One option with meaningful clinical evidence is Echinaforce, a specific preparation of freshly harvested Echinacea purpurea. The reason product specificity matters is because Echinacea is not one uniform thing. Different species, plant parts, and extraction methods can produce VERY different results.
Here’s what the research tells us.
• Fewer people get respiratory infections in the first place. A large scientific review that combined results from 30 high-quality clinical trials involving over 5,600 people found that people taking Echinacea were significantly less likely to catch respiratory infections like colds and flu-like illnesses.6
• Fewer complications and less need for antibiotics. The same body of research found that when people did get sick, they were less likely to develop complications that often follow viral infections, such as secondary infections that lead to antibiotic prescriptions.6These outcomes were also evident in a children’s study of Echinaforce Junior.7
• What larger kids studies confirm. A more recent review of pediatric studies published in 2025 looked broadly at upper respiratory infections and ear infections in children.8,9It found that Echinacea purpurea products were associated with:
o Fewer respiratory infections overall
o Substantially reduced antibiotic use
o Side effects that were generally mild and uncommon
Bringing It All Together
Prevention is always best. Changing your snow tires BEFORE the first storm of the season is something all Canadians know…even if it means we don’t make it to the auto shop before said storm. Used alongside public health measures, Echinaforce may help reduce how often people get sick and how severe those respiratory infections become.
References
1. Public Health Agency of Canada. Influenza: Canadian Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report (FluWatch+) — Canada.ca.12 Dec. 2025, health-infobase.canada.ca/respiratory-virus-surveillance/influenza.html.
2. Pelley, Lauren. “Children’s Hospitals in Canada Face Flood of Flu Visits as Doctors Urge Families to Get Vaccinated.” CBC, 4 Dec. 2025, www.cbc.ca/news/health/pediatric-flu-visits-2025-9.7003201.
3. Pringle, Josh. “3 children die from influenza A-related complications in Ottawa and eastern Ontario region.”CTVNews16 Dec. 2025, www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/3-children-die-from-influenza-a-related-complications-in-ottawa-and-eastern-ontario-region.
4. Lee, Jennifer. “Alberta Emergency Rooms Hit With Wave of Influenza Patients.” CBC11 Dec. 2025, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-influenza-december-2025-9.7010320.
5. “Threat Assessment Brief: Assessing the Risk of Influenza for the EU/EEA in the Context of Increasing Circulation of a(H3N2) Subclade K.” European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control20 Nov. 2025, www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/threat-assessment-brief-assessing-risk-influenza-november-2025.
6. Gancitano, Giuseppe, et al. "Echinacea reduces antibiotics by preventing respiratory infections: A Meta-Analysis (ERA-PRIMA)." Antibiotics13.4 (2024): 364.
7. Ogal, Mercedes, et al. "Echinacea reduces antibiotic usage in children through respiratory tract infection prevention: a randomized, blinded, controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Medical Research26.1 (2021): 33.
8. Mazi, Ahlam, and Reem M. Alqahtani. "Role of Echinacea in the management and prevention of acute respiratory tract infections in children: A systematic review of the evidence."Journal of Family and Community Medicine 32.4 (2025): 273-283.
9. Taufani, Indra Putra, and Hai-Anh Ha. "Efficacy and safety of Echinacea purpurea in treating upper respiratory infections and complications of otitis media in children: Systematic review and meta-analysis."Clinical Nutrition ESPEN (2025).
