THE Pharmacy Guild has launched a concerted push to raise awareness of influenza vaccination via pharmacy, with the release of new research indicating one in two Australian adults don't plan to vaccinate against flu this year.
That's despite last year's record flu season which saw more than 249,000 reported infections and approximately 3,000 deaths.
Guild national president, George Tambassis said Australian adults were generally misinformed about the seriousness, and unaware of some infectious aspects of the flu.
"Most Australians don't realise how infectious the flu is, with 77% of respondents unaware the flu virus can remain active when airborne for 45 minutes or more.
"Our research showed more than half (57%) of Australian adults mistakenly consider themselves to be at low risk of contracting the flu," Tambassis said.
The Guild president emphasised that even the fit and healthy could be seriously affected by the flu virus and the best defence was vaccination.
"Flu vaccinations promote community immunity, whereby if enough people are vaccinated against the infection, they can help protect those unable to be vaccinated, including immunocompromised/sick, or very young infants," said Tambassis.
More than one million Australians received their flu vaccine in a pharmacy in 2017, but 57% of the population perceived themselves at low risk and failed to be vaccinated.
"In Australia, 95% of capital city-based residents, and 72 per cent of those based in regional areas live within 2.5 kilometres of a pharmacy," Tambassis added.
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