We’re in the thick of a severe flu season, with health experts warning it could continue into spring

Australia is in the thick of a severe flu season, with health experts warning it could continue into spring.

And they have called for Australians to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated* if they haven’t already, saying it’s not too late.

Children and adolescents* have been hit particularly hard by this year’s flu season so far, said Professor Christopher Blyth, director of Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth.

“Certainly the numbers suggest that adolescents and children have been harder hit this flu season than they have in previous seasons,” he said.

“We know that young children are a group that is at greatest risk of being hospitalised with severe flu, so that’s a group that’s always affected. We also know that primary school children are those who get flu in the community and spread it in the community.”

He said the Covid pandemic* had a lot to do with this.

“These children have in their first couple of years not seen a lot of flu*, because we’ve had the Covid pandemic,” Professor Blyth said.

“Younger children have gone through a pretty amazing time with very little flu exposure for very early parts of their lives.”

He said there was still “plenty of influenza* around”, even though July numbers were slightly down on the cases recorded in June.

“As far as, has it been a significant flu season with lots of flu circulating in the community? Yes it has,” he said.

“Has this strain* caused more severe disease in previous years? We don’t have evidence to demonstrate that.”

Professor Blyth said it was difficult to accurately predict when the flu season would be over.

“Our flu season traditionally runs between June, July and August, but this year the season started a little bit earlier,” he said.

“And realistically, the duration of the flu season does vary. I think there’ll still be plenty of flu around in July and August. And it’s only with the warming (of the weather) that we will see the flu season start to tail off – and that could be August, September or even later.”

Vaccination was particularly important for Australians who fell into high risk categories, including the very young, the elderly, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those with chronic health conditions*, he said.

But Professor Blyth said all Australians would benefit from vaccination, even in the middle of winter.

“There is still flu around so therefore, it’s not too late to be vaccinated if you’re unvaccinated. We know that it takes between one and two weeks for you to stimulate* your antibodies* and give you protection,” he said.

“If you think the flu season’s over, it’s not. If you had been getting 'round to it at some time and other things got in the way, there’s still benefit to getting one now.”

Infectious diseases expert and board member of the Immunisation Coalition Professor Robert Booy said antivirals* for treatment of influenza could be very effective, but must be taken within 48 hours of symptoms*.

“Influenza B is surging throughout Australia and for the thousands of people who intended to get vaccinated and are now showing symptoms, it is simply too late,” he said.

“It is critical for people who have just developed influenza to reach out urgently to their GP* for antiviral treatment.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• vaccinated: when a person receives a special medicine (called a vaccine) to protect them from a specific disease, like the flu. it helps the body build defences against the disease so that if they come into contact with the flu, they won’t get as sick
• adolescents: young people in their teenage years, usually between the ages of 13 and 19
• pandemic: when a disease spreads over a large area, affecting many people around the world
• influenza/flu: a contagious illness caused by a virus that can make people feel very sick with symptoms like fever, cough, and body aches
• strain: refers to a specific variant or type of the influenza virus. Influenza viruses can have different strains which causes different symptoms
• chronic health conditions: long-term health problems or illnesses that a person has for a long time, which may need ongoing medical care
• antivirals: medicines that can help treat viruses like the flu and make people feel better faster
• symptoms: signs or feelings that show a person is sick, like a runny nose, sore throat or fever
• stimulate: to encourage something to happen or become more active
• antibodies: special proteins in our bodies that help fight off infections and protect us from getting sick
• GP (general practitioner): a doctor you go to when you are feeling sick or need medical

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QUICK QUIZ

1. What is the current situation with the flu season in Australia, and what are health experts warning about its duration?
2. Why are children and adolescents particularly affected by this year’s flu season, according to Professor Christopher Blyth?
3. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the flu exposure for younger children, as explained by Professor Blyth?
4. Why is vaccination considered essential for Australians, especially those who fall into high-risk categories?
5. According to Professor Blyth, when is the best time to get vaccinated against the flu, and how long does it take for the vaccine to provide protection?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Flu vaccinations
Work with a partner and brainstorm some of the reasons why adults may have decided to not get the flu vaccine this year, or not take their kids to get the flu vaccine:

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What might be some solutions to some of these reasons to encourage them to go and get the vaccine sooner rather than later?

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Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

2. Extension
Why do you think the research suggests that it is primary school kids that transmit influenza into the community? Outline your reasons below.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

VCOP ACTIVITY
It’s not too late to vaccinate
With many Australian families finding the flu season particularly bad this year, doctors are urging everyone to still get vaccinated.

Write a letter to families expressing your opinions. Should they get vaccinated or not? Include what a vaccine is and what it is designed to do. Explain some reasons why doctors are encouraging everyone to get vaccinated, and include reasons why some people might be against the jab.

Use your VCOP skills to edit and uplevel the letter to capture your opinion and persuade them to agree with you.