Qld flu crisis: The vaccination numbers health experts fear

A taxpayer-funded flu vaccination campaign will be restarted after failing to work on two-thirds of eligible Queenslanders.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls. Picture: Liam Kidston

A taxpayer-funded flu vaccination advertising campaign will be restarted after failing to encourage more than two-thirds of eligible Queenslanders to get the shot amid soaring cases.

The latest Queensland Health data shows flu hospitalisations continued to increase over the past week and are 13 per cent higher than at the same time last year.

A total of 3650 flu cases were recorded between July 14 and 20 – the highest number in a single week this year to date.

Ninety-one people have died in 2025 from the flu.

Queensland Health said flu cases and admissions to hospital were likely to continue to increase in coming weeks, with the peak yet to be reached.

The state government’s annual “Don’t be complacent” campaign began on March 1 and ended on June 30, targeting Queenslanders aged 18 and over about the risks of flu and the importance of vaccination.

It is understood the campaign initially sparked strong vaccine uptake before numbers started to decline in May.

The Courier-Mail has been told flu-related social media posts have been seen more than 85m times and achieved more than 166,000 engagements.

But only 1.6m, or 26.8 per cent, of eligible Queenslanders have been vaccinated against flu this year.

The campaign will now restart and run until mid-August to address the shockingly low rates at an unknown additional cost to taxpayers.

The extended campaign will be featured across various channels, including social media, streaming services, and materials in GPs and pharmacies.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said Queenslanders had good intentions to get vaccinated but it had not translated to action, with health services feeling the impact.

“We hope this campaign extension will encourage more people to get vaccinated now for their own benefit, and to help reduce demand on our hospitals,” he said.

“The Crisafulli government this year invested $25 million to ensure cost is no barrier for

Queenslanders, making the flu vaccine more accessible than ever.”

On Thursday, Opposition Leader Steven Miles said he could not recall a time where Queensland Health had been so poorly prepared for the winter flu and now Covid-19 season.

“The Premier (David Crisafulli) has … avoided telling people the one most important public health message at this time of year, which is to get vaccinated,” he said.

“It’s his responsibility to ensure that the community is prepared, to ensure our hospitals are prepared, and that they have the resources that they need.”

Covid-19 notifications have remained steady, with 1195 cases reported in the past week.

Originally published as Qld flu crisis: The vaccination numbers health experts fear