As the flu season continues to hit New South Wales, health experts say the delayed timing of vaccinations has contributed to the prolonged outbreak.
Findings show that this year’s flu season remains stubbornly high, taking longer to decline the transmission.
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University of Sydney’s infectious diseases paediatrician, Professor Robert Booy, told ABC that early vaccinations were critical in mitigating the flu’s impact.
Professor Booy said vaccinations administered later in the season proved less effective during the peak transmission period.
“The free vaccination programs seem to pop up around June, but the simple thing to do each season is to get vaccinated in April and May and get ahead of the problem,” Professor Booy said.
A study by the University of Western Australia showed that the 2023 flu season may be one of Australia’s largest flu seasons on record.
The study also found that the only notable difference from pre-pandemic years was the decline in the number of younger Australians receiving the influenza vaccine.
“In 2023, we are on track for a similar influenza season to 2019 – the largest influenza season on record in Australia. That’s when there were more than 300,000 recorded influenza cases,” the study finds.
Two months ago, when the study was committed, we had 107,941 recorded flu cases in 2023, and the flu season still had months to go.
Among the total infected number, children became the primary target, with 48,873 cases relating to children under 15 years and 22,365 in those aged five to nine years.
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