Health authorities have raised concerns about flu rates among Queensland children, warning that an unstoppable spread could occur if schools reopen on Monday.
In the Sunshine State, about 20 children are hospitalized every day as flu cases skyrocket.
Queensland’s chief public health officer Dr John Gerrard fears numbers will rise when students return to school on Monday.
He warned that as many as 50 children could be admitted to hospital every day over the next two to three weeks. Courier post reported.
The figure is even more alarming because the flu season is not expected to peak until mid-August.
Dr Gerrard said schools and childcare centres are likely to be the epicentre of the highly contagious virus, as thousands of unvaccinated Queenslanders are already showing flu symptoms.
The chief health officer said these Queenslanders were already overwhelming busy emergency departments across the state.
Dr Gerrard urges parents to have their families vaccinated to help prevent the virus, which can quickly spread throughout the home and to older and vulnerable family members.
“We can stop that momentum if people get their free flu shot now. It’s not too late to get vaccinated,” he said.
Health authorities have raised concerns about flu rates among Queensland children and warned an unstoppable spread could emerge if schools reopen on Monday (stock image)
The chief health officer said there was “no excuse” not to get vaccinated, with Queensland the only state where the vaccine is free for those over six months of age and readily available not just from GPs but also from pharmacies.
Despite this, less than a quarter of children in Queensland have had the flu shot.
“There are two different strains of influenza A that are currently spreading rapidly in the community. Both strains are covered by available vaccines,” Dr. Gerrard said.
Children have the highest incidence of flu in Queensland, with locations including the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Darling Downs, Ipswich and Central Queensland currently hotspots for flu outbreaks.
From January to the end of June, there were 24,256 cases of influenza in Queensland, 10 percent of which were hospitalised.
In the last week of June alone, there were as many as 2,666 cases.
Flu isn’t the only concern for Queenslanders this winter. Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are still around, posing a triple threat to the sunshine state.
Flu isn’t the only concern for Queenslanders this winter, as Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are still around, posing a triple threat to the Sunshine State (stock image)
While influenza has the highest infection rate, the number of RSV cases has doubled compared to the same period last year and most patients admitted to hospital are under two years of age.
According to Dr. Gerrard, Covid continues to mutate and the virus will continue to hit the community in waves.
And because few people in the state have been vaccinated against the flu, infectious disease expert Paul Griffin says Australians have forgotten how dangerous the virus can be.
“It can kill. And we’ve seen that it not only kills people who are very vulnerable, it has also taken the lives of healthy people,” he said.