Queenslanders warned of horror flu season in 2022

Queenslanders have been urged to get a flu shot in one arm and a Covid-19 booster in the other as experts warn of a dangerous flu season ahead.

Queenslanders have been left ‘flu naive’ in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, with lower resistance leaving them open to a horror 2022 influenza season, experts warn.

As the state waits for the arrival of a “one shot wonder” — a vaccine that combines both the flu and Covid shots — the advice is to book in for an influenza shot and get a Covid booster in the other arm.

More than 30 per cent of Queenslanders have yet to receive their Covid booster.

For two years the state has been cushioned from influenza with public health rules and closed borders, but as restrictions disappear and autumn approaches one of the country’s top epidemiologists Professor Robert Booy warns the state’s infectious disease landscape is shifting.

Professor Robert Booy says people should not delay in booking a flu shot this year.

“The uptake of the flu vaccine last year was slow as people were so caught up in Covid but we can’t afford for that to happen again this year. The flu vaccine will arrive in March and bookings should be made now. It would be even better if patients book in to have their booster in the other arm on the same day,” Prof Booy said.

“Flu immunity is very low now and vaccines have never been more important,” he said.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Queensland Chair Bruce Willett said that while there are clinical trials testing combined flu and Covid vaccines, he anticipates that will take some time and a double shot in each arm is the way to go to keep safe in 2022.

“It will be amazing for the public and for health providers to administer just one shot each year. But when you are combining two vaccines it has to go through trials and on to the Therapeutic Goods Administration for approval. It’ll take time,” he said.

“Meanwhile Queenslanders are very flu naive, meaning they have little immunity against it. And trends show over the years when cases are very low like they have been during the pandemic a big flu season is likely to follow,” Dr Willett said.

Numbers were high in 2019 with more than 68,000 cases. Last year there were 296.

“We will see influenza vaccines arriving in the next few weeks so now is the time for Queenslanders to protect themselves,” he said.

Originally published as Queenslanders warned of horror flu season in 2022