Urgent vaccination alert issued to Australians as Covid and flu hit ‘double whammy’ ahead of school holidays
- Parents urged children to vaccinate children against flu and covid
- NSW reported that flu cases have doubled in the past five weeks
With the winter flu season in full swing and COVID-19 on the rise, parents are being warned to get their children vaccinated before the approaching school holidays.
AMA NSW President Michael Bonning says infection rates for both COVID-19 and flu remain high.
Reported flu cases in NSW have more than doubled in the past five weeks, from about 32,000 at the end of April to more than 68,000 last week.
Parents are urged to have their children vaccinated before going on school holidays
“Children under 10 are becoming infected much faster than other age groups, and more than 300 children under 16 have been hospitalized,” Dr Bonning said on Thursday.
‘We can take the pressure off the healthcare system by ensuring that as many people as possible get their flu shot, especially the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
“This includes schoolchildren during vacation time when families move across the country to visit extended family or friends or to chase warmer weather.”
The winter school holiday period in NSW starts on July 3 for most schools and anyone planning to travel should get vaccinated before leaving home.
The AMA also recommends that people wear masks, especially in crowded places such as sports or concert halls, airports and train stations, public transportation, shopping malls, supermarkets and playgrounds.