One Australian state is on the verge of its worst flu season in seven years, with thousands of residents already hospitalised.
According to the latest health data, there have been about 4,000 flu hospital admissions in Queensland so far this year.
A total of 42,626 cases have been reported, with 5,674 people diagnosed in the past week.
On Saturday, 346 people with influenza A were in hospital, including 28 children under the age of five and 181 patients aged 65 and over.
Hospitalizations are already higher than in all of 2019, a year considered one of the state’s worst flu seasons.
The worst year ever was 2017, with 6,079 patients requiring hospital care.
Chief Medical Officer Catherine McDougall warned it will be weeks before the peak of flu hospital admissions in Queensland is reached.
“One in four people who test for flu are positive, which is a sign that there is a lot of virus in the community,” Dr. McDougall said.
Queensland has recorded about 4,000 hospital admissions for influenza so far this year, according to the latest health data
‘This year’s numbers show that this is the worst flu season we’ve had since 2019… 14 percent of all the cases we’ve had so far this year occurred last week.
It is very likely that this will continue to spread, [and] “We expect a peak towards the end of August.”
Dr McDougall added that most cases occurred in children, with “almost as many children under the age of five being diagnosed with flu as people over the age of 65”.
“This is not just a disease that affects our older population, but the entire community,” she said.
The state government will spend millions of dollars on hospital beds and other resources to ease the pressure on hospitals caused by a rise in flu cases.
Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is expected to announce an $88.6 million funding boost for the state’s public hospitals on Monday.
The funding will help improve the hospital’s capacity by making more resources available, such as more nurses, more hospital beds and a streamlined patient flow in the emergency department.
Patients who are not in a critical condition are referred from the emergency department to the minor injuries and illness clinics in Caloundra and on the Gold Coast.
The clinics will also have extended opening hours to accommodate the influx of patients. The Coloundra clinic will remain open until 10pm and the Gold Coast clinic will be open 24 hours a day.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles said the dramatic influx of patients is putting further pressure on the state’s already overstretched health system.
He added that the number of young children in hospital was “clearly very concerning” and urged Queenslanders to get vaccinated against the flu.
“It is vital that everyone who can gets vaccinated against the flu to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities,” Mr Miles said.
“That’s why we made the flu vaccine free, so that cost is no longer a barrier to staying safe and healthy.”
The state is heading for its worst flu season in seven years, with experts urging residents to get their free flu vaccine, which is available at pharmacies, through a GP and at the annual agricultural fair in Ekka (pictured)
Ms Fentiman joined Mr Miles in calling on parents to vaccinate themselves and their children.
“We expect such intense periods every year, but this year we are seeing extraordinary demand,” she said.
‘No one wants their child or loved one to be hospitalised. We know that vaccination makes a big difference when it comes to the risk of being hospitalised with flu.
‘This doubling in hospital admissions is concerning for Queensland’s youngest residents and I am urging parents across the state to get themselves and their children vaccinated.
‘If you haven’t had a free flu shot yet, please get one.’
Queensland is the only state in Australia that offers free flu vaccinations to its residents.
The vaccine is available from pharmacies or GPs and will also be made available at the annual agricultural fair in Ekka, which runs until August 18.