Dr Jana Pittman warns parents to get kids vaccinated against the flu

Olympian-turned-doctor Jana Pittman just gave birth to twins. Now she’s calling on all Aussie parents to vaccinate their kids against the flu.

Exclusive: Australian Olympian-turned-doctor Jana Pittman suffered the devastating loss of her grandmother to the flu and is now fronting a new campaign urging Australians to get the jab.

Pittman, who won gold at the Commonwealth Games, gave birth to twins last week and blames herself for also infecting her own mother with the virus in 2020.

“Several years ago, we lost my grandmother to influenza and in 2020, during my final year at medical school, I caught influenza and unfortunately passed the infection to my mum,” Dr Pittman said.

It was the first time in eight years she hadn’t had the flu shot, “with everything going on, it just slipped my mind”.

Despite years of medical training, Dr Pittman said she underestimated just how sick she would feel with the flu.

“I’ve had the common cold plenty of times, but having influenza was very different. It was incredibly scary, and I was close to being admitted to hospital for a high heart rate and low oxygen levels,” she said.

“Mum was very sick and to this day has an underlying cough due to the damage it did to her lungs.”

Jana Pittman with her mum Jackie Pittman and children Emily, Cornelis and baby Jemima. Jan's autobiography Just Another Hurdle is out now. Picture: Amelia McKee

Flu shots are now available and if you haven’t had your Covid booster jab you can get both the flu shot and the Covid jab at the same time.

Australians aged over 65 become eligible for a fourth Covid booster from April 4 and could also ask to have both vaccines at the one appointment.

Australian National University infectious diseases expert Professor Peter Collignon said both vaccines could give you side effects like a fever and a sore arm.

“Now whether in fact having them together just means you’re better off because you only had it once and the same amount, or, is it additive, I don’t think we know the answer to that question. That’s the sort of thing you need to do studies of,” Prof Collignon said.

University Sydney’s infectious diseases paediatrician Professor Robert Booy said having two shots at once “seems to be very well tolerated, the difference in side effect profile is fairly minimal”.

Professor Peter Collignon, from the Australian National University Medical School in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

“Under five, you’re probably at more risk from flu than Covid,” Professor Booy said.

Immunisation Foundation of Australia Director Catherine Hughes, who lost her son to whooping cough in 2015 is also urging Australian parents to get their young children vaccinated against the flu.

“Many people don’t realise that influenza hospitalises more young Australian kids than any other vaccine-preventable disease,” Ms Hughes said.

“I’ve connected with a number of families who have lost babies, children and loved ones to influenza, and in most cases they haven’t been vaccinated. Their stories are heartbreaking, but also very moving,” she said.

The Foundation’s ”Don’t Forget Influenza!” campaign will help remind people about the seriousness of influenza and the importance of getting protected against it, she said.

The Federal Government provides the influenza vaccine at no cost to children aged between 6 months and 5 years, as well as to pregnant women and those aged over 65.

However, in 2021 just 26 per cent of kids aged under five received influenza immunisation.

On average there are usually around 100,000 cases of the flu each year in Australia but in 2019 there were 300,000 cases and 948 people died.

Flu has been virtually non-existent in Australia for almost two years and many people did not have their flu jab last year, making the population especially vulnerable to the virus now borders have opened again.