Flu vaccinations for hospital staff ahead of pandemic and flu season
Health care workers in the state’s public hospital systems will soon have access to flu vaccinations ahead of an anticipated convergence of the coronavirus pandemic and flu this winter. NSW Health has urged everyone who can get a flu vaccination to do so.
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Healthcare workers in the state’s public hospital systems will soon have access to flu vaccinations ahead of an anticipated convergence of the coronavirus pandemic and influenza this winter.
“Influenza vaccinations will be available to all healthcare workers employed in NSW Health facilities in hospitals from early to mid-April,” a NSW Health spokeswoman told The Northern District Times.
Flu vaccines have already been provided to aged care facility residents from last week and this year’s flu program will be available from mid-April onwards to the public.
“Everyone who can be vaccinated should do so, ahead of an anticipated convergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and flu during winter,” she said.
“The best time to get vaccinated is from mid-April to May.”
The NSW Health spokeswoman said this year’s flu vaccines have been “specifically tailored” to the strains expected to pose the greatest risk.
A Northern Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said staff vaccinations are starting this week at their hospitals; Royal North Shore Hospital, Ryde Hospital, Hornsby Hospital and Mona Vale Hospital.
To date, almost 400 people have been tested positive to COVID-19 in Sydney’s north as the number of confirmed cases across NSW rose to 2,182 cases today.
Sydney’s north has had the highest number of tests with 16,419 tests being taken and of that figure there have been 390 confirmed cases, according to the latest NSW Health data.
This year, it is expected more than 2.6 million doses will be made available for the National Immunisation Program.
People aged 65 and over, all children aged six months to under five years, pregnant women, Aboriginal people and those with high-risk medical conditions can be vaccinated for free by GPs and Aboriginal Medical Services under the National Immunisation Program.
The NSW Government has lowered the age of children eligible to receive their flu jabs from pharmacists, from 16 to 10 years.
People have been asked to call ahead to ensure their GPs or pharmacist have the flu vaccines available.