Cold and flu season is back, and this year, health experts say it could hit harder than usual. Early data from countries like Australia, where flu season starts earlier, show higher infection rates and more severe cases than in recent years. That’s often a sign of what’s to come for Canada.

“Are we going to have a tough flu season? Probably,” says Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch. “Australia had two tough ones in a row, including the most recent one. We’re probably in for a tough one. We’re looking at some other countries in the northern hemisphere who are seeing a lot of H3N2.”

The latest test results from Health Canada are three per cent shy of what’s considered a flu epidemic.

This year’s flu shot is designed to protect against strains like H1N1 and H3N2. Both are subty

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