There are above-average cases of flu and RSV, as well as the nation’s first surge in whooping cough since the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Australians are being struck down with respiratory infections at an unseasonably high rate, with above-average cases of flu and RSV, as well as theTraditionally, flu season in Australia has run from May to September. But since 2022, Australia has recorded more cases in the summer months.
“This year and last year, many more people have been mixing together, and many more people have travelled to Europe or North America and brought flu back with them in January, February and March,” he said. “By next year, you would expect that the flu season would look more like what we saw before the pandemic, starting in April or May and peaking later,” he said.But the early start does not mean Australia is set for a catastrophic flu season. Booy expects there will “moderate or greater” level of influenza as we move into the winter months.
“In a few months, the virus can mutate, and that’s when you can have a bad flu season,” Senanayake said. “People, and parents, need to remember that influenza is not a runny nose or a mild illness – it kills people,” she said. “Whooping cough is an entirely preventable cause of illness and death, and the people who can change this are the adults,” said Higgins, urging people in contact with infants to ensure their vaccine is up-to-date.This year’s flu shots will target two strains of Influenza A and two strains of Influenza B. They are now being rolled out in GPs and pharmacies.
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