Free flu shots for West Australians a month too late when influenza season started in summer: health experts

Free flu shots offered to West Australians are coming a month too late when the influenza season has started earlier than usual, health experts warn. Flu cases in WA are already at record highs for the start of the year with thousands of people in the State contracting the respiratory infection — and the peak winter season is still yet to arrive. The West Australian can reveal 1668 people in WA were diagnosed as having the virus between January and March, which is at least 100 cases more than the previous year. A further 78 West Australians have got the flu in the past three days. The virus almost disappeared during the COVID-19 pandemic due to public health restrictions reducing contact between people. According to the Health Department’s national disease surveillance, just seven West Australians got the flu in the first three months of 2021 and 19 others had it in 2022. Perth doctor Peter Burke, who specialises in the health of travellers and vaccinations, is urging the community to get the influenza jab as soon as possible. “There’s no reason to defer it, particularly with the increased numbers that we know are around. Make a plan to get it before the start of winter,” Dr Burke told The West. “Whenever there’s an increase in numbers that obviously means not only are there lots of people that have got it, there’s also lots of people that are therefore infectious to others.” The Murdoch University medical service doctor said the rise in cases this year could be the result of more people travelling, GPs testing for the flu more and vaccine fatigue. Only about 30 per cent of West Australians received an influenza vaccination last year. This has prompted the WA Government to offer free flu jabs for all West Australians for the third year in a row — but only in May and June. “It may not be quite as timely, but I think that’s partly to allow perhaps those folks that are at medically high risk to get in first,” Dr Burke said. When Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson was asked why the free vaccine program was not brought in during April, she said the Government acted on health advice. “That’s based on public health advice of the best time to make sure that people will have their peak coverage of that vaccination during the winter period,” she said. A Federal Health Department spokeswoman said annual vaccination was “crucial to protect against influenza and its complications”. “The optimal time for vaccination is before the start of each influenza season, with the best protection occurring in the first three to four months post-vaccination,” the spokeswoman said. “Getting your flu vaccination from mid-April ensures the best protection ahead of the peak flu season, typically from June to September in most parts of Australia.” Pharmaceutical company CSL Seqirus vaccines medical director Dr Julianne Bayliss said influenza vaccination was important to help take the pressure off the healthcare system.