FALLING influenza immunisation rates, combined with the risk of a horror flu season like the one experienced in the Northern Hemisphere, could result in more lives lost from flu and other respiratory diseases this year, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) has warned.
There was a fall in the number of Australians receiving their flu vaccine in 2024 compared to the previous year (PD 05 Mar), and AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen said that "we cannot afford to continue thedecline".
"We know there is some vaccine fatigue out there following the pandemic, and some wildly misleading and damaging information on social media, and this is contributing to fewer people getting their shots," Dr McMullen said.
"I can't be too blunt about this: thousands of people die each year from respiratory disease including flu, COVID and RSV.
"Older people, people who are immunocompromised, babies, young children, pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions are particularly vulnerable to some of these respiratory viruses."
Dr McMullen highlighted the importance of getting the flu vaccine each year, as the formulation is updated annually to match circulating strains, and the protection from a flu vaccine only lasts a season.
"Cases of flu pop up all year long, but our peak season is usually from Jun to Sep, and the best time to get your flu vaccine is from Apr onwards," she said, adding that now is also a good time to think about a COVID booster, particularly for those aged over 65 or at higher risk of severeCOVID.
"Countries like the United States had a very severe influenza season, with the Center for Disease Control estimating at least 41 million illnesses, 540,000 hospitalisations, and 23,000 deaths from influenza during their season so far," Dr McMullen said.
MEANWHILE, the Dept of Health in Victoria has announced that bird flu will become an urgent notifiable condition in Victoria from 01 Apr.
Avian influenza H5N1 is a highly contagious viral infection of birds that can occasionally affect people, with those who have had close or prolonged contact with infected birds or other animals or their contaminated environments at highest risk of infection.
While extremely rare in Australia, there have been numerous cases in the US (PD 18 Mar). KB
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