Qld flu wave set to explode with return to school

Influenza cases among Queensland children are escalating at an alarming rate, as the state’s chief health officer fears an unstoppable contagion across the state as school returns.

• Editor’s view: Do your duty

Influenza cases among Queensland children are escalating at a shocking rate, with 20 admitted to hospital every day as the state’s chief health officer fears an unstoppable contagion across the entire state when school returns on Monday.

John Gerrard believes that number is on track to rise to 50 a day within the next two or three weeks, even before flu season peaks in mid-August.

Daycare centres and schools would likely become ground zero for the virus from Monday, he said, as thousands of unvaccinated Queenslanders with flu symptoms already flood busy emergency departments.

He is pleading with parents to help stop the dangerous knock-on spread of the virus throughout families and to older Queenslanders

“We can halt that momentum if people get their free flu vaccine now. It is not too late to get vaccinated,” he said.

“There really is no excuse if you are eligible to be vaccinated.

“Queensland is the only state where the flu vaccine is free for everyone aged over six months and is readily available at GPs and pharmacies.”

Less than one-quarter of children under 15 are immunised against the flu.

Dr Gerrard said daycare centres and schools were likely to experience increased rates of transmission from Monday, followed by children spreading the virus to adults in the coming weeks.

“Just three weeks ago we were seeing an average of three children per day in hospital with flu. Last week that had increased to 20 children per day and right now it is on track to be above 50 per day within the next two to three weeks,” Dr Gerrard said.

“There are two distinct influenza A strains spreading rapidly in the community at present.

Chief health officer Dr John Gerrard with Health Minister Shannon Fentiman

“Both strains are covered by available vaccines.”

Dr Gerrard said while children made up the highest number of cases in the state, many parts of Queensland were in the grip of a flu outbreak.

He pinpointed the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Darling Downs, Ipswich and Central Queensland as hot spots.

From January to the end of June, there were 24,256 influenza cases, with 10 per cent requiring hospitalisation. In the last week in June there were 2666 cases.

Dr Gerrard said thousands of people were presenting to busy emergency departments with flu symptoms and most of these are unvaccinated.

Queenslanders are facing a triple whammy of winter illness, with influenza, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus all in the community but the flu has emerged as the most prolific.

“While RSV cases have declined in recent weeks, the virus is still prevalent in the community. The number of cases has doubled compared to the same time last year (January to end of June) and most of those hospitalised with RSV are under two years of age,” Dr Gerrard said.

In the past six months to June 30, there have been 25,763 cases of RSV in Queensland – a 50 per cent increase on the same reporting period last year. Of these cases, 3314 were admitted to hospital. Almost half (1455) were aged under two.

Dr Gerrard said Covid-19 was not going away, and as it continued to mutate it would keep striking in waves.

Infectious disease expert Paul Griffin said people had lost sight of how dangerous the flu could be.

“It can kill. And we have seen that it not only kills people who are highly vulnerable, it has taken the lives of the healthy too,” Professor Griffin said.

Originally published as Qld flu wave set to explode with return to school