7000-plus in four months: New custom-made flu jab as Qld cases double
As the number of flu cases soar, a new vaccine which has been custom-made to match predicted virus strains, is now available for free to vulnerable Queenslanders.
QLD News
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As the number of flu cases soar, a new vaccine which has been custom-made to match predicted virus strains, is now available for free to vulnerable Queenslanders under the National Immunisation Program.
The cell-based jabs, which are a game-changing innovation in flu vaccine manufacturing, are also available to Queenslanders who request them and are prepared to pay.
The jabs are designed to attack the strains likely to be prevalent for the upcoming flu season, as determined by the World Health Organisation.
Flucelvax QUAD is manufactured by Australia’s CSL Seqirus and this is the first time it is being offered in Australia under the NIP.
There have been 7190 influenza cases reported in Queensland so far this year, more than double the average of 3140 cases for the same period from 2019 to 2023. Eleven people have died and 83 are in hospital.
The numbers are likely much higher, as many do not report having the flu.
“The flu season usually hit around August but Covid restrictions upset the pattern of the flu season and now it is difficult to predict the exact time the season will peak. But the high number of cases that we have seen so far this year highlight the need for vaccination,” Queensland infectious disease expert Paul Griffin said.
Flucelvax QUAD is now available at GPs and pharmacists.
Those eligible for the jab at no cost include pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged five to 64 years of age, people aged five to 64 years old with coexisting medical conditions, including cardiac disease, chronic respiratory conditions, chronic neurological conditions, immunocompromising conditions. diabetes and other metabolic disorders. chronic renal failure, functional or anatomical asplenia long-term aspirin therapy in children aged five to 10 years.
“Research indicates that 50 per cent of Australians consider flu to be very serious and people can die from it. Yet in 2023, only about 25 per cent of the population aged five to 64 years were vaccinated against influenza,” infectious diseases expert Robert Booy said.
“With coverage like that, there’s certainly a strong chance that many vulnerable Australians are not getting vaccinated against influenza,” Prof Booy said.
Across the country the 2023 flu season was the most severe since 2019, with a 13.5 per cent increase in cases. There were close to 300,000 influenza cases, 3696 hospitalisations and at least 376 flu-related deaths reported.
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