Push for annual children’s flu vaccine to be on the national timetable of free jabs for kids, as SA braces for a horror season

Immunisation experts are calling for an annual children’s flu vaccine to be considered for inclusion on the national timetable of free jabs for kids, as SA braces for a horror season.

• 15-year-old girl dies from flu
• Vaccine for staff runs out at Flinders Medical Centre
• This year’s flu cases already exceed last year’s total

Immunisation experts are calling for an annual children’s flu vaccine to be considered for inclusion on the national timetable of free jabs for kids, as SA braces for a horror season.

Power star Robbie Gray joined with Health and Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wade over the weekend in a call for everyone to receive a vaccination, amid a spike in reported cases.

It comes as a new article in the Medical Journal of Australia, published on Monday, urges further measures to ensure more of the population is covered.

Researchers report that a quarter of young children are now covered by the vaccine, a five-fold increase since state governments, including SA, rolled out separate funding programs last year.

Lead author and National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance physician Frank Beard told The Advertiser more must be done to lift the rates of protection.

Current hurdles include “insufficient awareness of potential severity of disease” and “practical barriers” to accessing services”, he said.

Immunisation experts want the annual children’s flu vaccine included on the national timetable of free jabs for kids.

Dr Beard said one solution could be adding the vaccine to the National Immunisation Program Schedule, the standard timetable of recommended free shots for kids that already includes illnesses like mumps and whooping cough, to remove confusion about its value and when it should be given. “A nationally-consistent approach could potentially reduce confusion among providers and parents around the importance of influenza vaccination for children,” he said.

For the shot to be listed, a drug company must make an application and the Federal Government hold a review.

Mr Wade said there had been some “lags” in getting speedy access to vaccines for SA, but supply was adequate.

“It’s very important that all South Australians take the opportunity to get a vaccine,” he said. “South Australians should be very concerned about the flu season.

“The best way that you can protect yourself against the flu is through vaccination.”

The State Government has launched a campaign comparing the flu toll to road deaths, after the sickness claimed more lives than crashes in 2017 and amid signs are that this year will be more severe.

Gray said he had a flu shot on Friday, based on the strong advice of team doctors.

“If we can help protect ourselves and then help protect others … then I guess that’s a good thing,” he said.