There are warnings that a disturbing dive in flu vaccine rates could drive up hospital cases and deaths this winter.
Stocks of the latest flu vaccine are being rolled out in Australia as the United States recovers from its worst season in years.
Dubbed a “quad-demic”, the US has recently been hit by the flu, COVID-19, RSV, and norovirus.
“I think it’s very concerning what we’ve seen in the northern hemisphere,” Professor Paul Griffin from the University of Queensland said.
“If we don’t take simple steps to reduce the risks we can very easily see a winter period with lots of infections circulating.”
In recent days, stocks of this season’s flu vaccines have rolled out in Australian pharmacies and GP clinics.
“We don’t know whether we are going to have an early flu season or a late flu season,” pharmacist Tony Soffer said.
Flu-related deaths in Australia last year were 67 per cent higher than in 2023.
This season’s vaccine has been updated to help boost protection.
“So we can be sure that the vaccine provides an immune response that will protect us against the most recent H3N2 strains,” Professor Patrick Reading from the WHO Collaborating Centre said.
Australia’s chief medical officer has expressed deep concerns about the decline in flu vaccination rates.
In children under five, rates have dropped by nearly 20 per cent in four years from 45 to 26 per cent.
In the over 65s, they’ve seen a 9 per cent slide in two years from 69.7 per cent to 60.5 per cent.
“We’ve seen an element of complacency after everyone did a host of measures to reduce covid transmission,” Griffin said.
Queensland and Western Australia provide free flu jabs to everyone aged over six months old.
Those at risk can access it under the National Immunisation Program, usually launched in April.
