Feeling fluey? This is when to go to hospital

Australia is in the thick of a severe flu season, with health experts warning it could drag on for months. See what the symptoms are and how to protect yourself.

Australia is in the thick of a severe flu season, with health experts warning it could continue into spring.

And they have called for Australians to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated if they haven’t already, saying it’s not too late.

Children and adolescents have been hit particularly hard by this year’s flu season so far, said Professor Christopher Blyth, director of Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth.

Children have been hard hit by flu this year.

“Certainly the numbers suggest that adolescents and children have been harder hit this flu season than they have in previous seasons, and harder hit compared to other populations,” he said.

“We know that young children are a group that is at greatest risk of being hospitalised with severe flu, so that’s a group that’s always affected. We also know that primary school children are those who get flu in the community and spread it in the community.”

He said the Covid pandemic had a lot to do with this.

“These children have in their first couple of years not seen a lot of flu, because we’ve had the Covid pandemic,” Professor Blyth said.

“Younger children have gone through a pretty amazing time with very little flu exposure for very early parts of their lives.”

He said there was still “plenty of influenza around”, even though July numbers were slightly down on the cases recorded in June.

“As far as has it been a significant flu season with lots of flu circulating in the community? Yes it has,” he said.

“Has this strain caused more severe disease in previous years? We don’t have evidence to demonstrate that.”

He said the Covid pandemic had a lot to do with this.

“These children have in their first couple of years not seen a lot of flu, because we’ve had the Covid pandemic,” Professor Blyth said.

“Younger children have gone through a pretty amazing time with very little flu exposure for very early parts of their lives.”

He said there was still “plenty of influenza around”, even though July numbers were slightly down on the cases recorded in June.

“As far as has it been a significant flu season with lots of flu circulating in the community? Yes it has,” he said.

“Has this strain caused more severe disease in previous years? We don’t have evidence to demonstrate that.”

Younger children have had little flu exposure due to the pandemic. Picture: Getty

Professor Blyth said it was difficult to accurately predict when the flu season would be over.

“Our flu season traditionally runs between June, July and August, but this year the season started a little bit earlier,” he said.

“And realistically, the duration of the flu season does vary. I think there’ll still be plenty of flu around in July and August. And it’s only with the warming (of the weather) that we will see the flu season start to tail off – and that could be August, September or even later.”

Vaccination was particularly important for Australians who fell into high risk categories, including the very young, the elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those with chronic health conditions, he said.

But Professor Blyth said all Australians would benefit from vaccination, even in the middle of winter.

“There is still flu around so therefore, it’s not too late to be vaccinated if you’re unvaccinated. We know that it takes between one and two weeks for you to stimulate your antibodies and give you protection,” he said.

“If you think the flu season’s over, it’s not. If you had been getting round to it at some time and other things got in the way, there’s still benefit to getting one now.”

While for many people who have been already struck down by the virus it might be too late to get vaccinated, there are other treatment options.

“There is still flu around so therefore, it’s not too late to be vaccinated if you’re unvaccinated. We know that it takes between one and two weeks for you to stimulate your antibodies and give you protection,” he said.

“If you think the flu season’s over, it’s not. If you had been getting round to it at some time and other things got in the way, there’s still benefit to getting one now.”

While for many people who have been already struck down by the virus it might be too late to get vaccinated, there are other treatment options.

Infectious diseases expert and board member of the Immunisation Coalition Professor Robert Booy said antivirals for treatment of influenza could be very effective, but must be taken within 48 hours of symptoms.

“Influenza B is surging throughout Australia and for the thousands of people who intended to get vaccinated and are now showing symptoms, it is simply too late,” he said.
“It is critical for people who have just developed influenza to reach out urgently to their GP for antiviral treatment.”

The coalition’s CEO Kim Sampson said antivirals were a second line of defence after vaccination.

“We need to reduce the amount of influenza circulating in the community. Low vaccination rates mean we must adopt our second line of defence – antiviral medications,” he said.

Originally published as Feeling fluey? This is when to go to hospital