The growing acceptance of rapid tests to detect COVID-19 has sparked hopes that Australia could better manage the spread of flu through similar self-diagnostic testing.
Biotech companies are racing to develop rapid antigen tests that can detect the flu in the face of surging cases, but they won’t be widely available in Australia until next year at the earliest.
A TGA spokeswoman said that as of last week, the regulator has not approved any rapid test kits that can be used at home to detect influenza. The authority has approved eight tests that can detect both the coronavirus and the flu, but only for use in medical settings.“Two of these are intended for use at the point-of-care by health professionals and eight multiplex are intended for use in pathology laboratories,” the regulator said.
“The reality is that with the time to complete additional studies along with regulatory review timeframes, this will be too long to meet the needs of the current Australian respiratory season,” she said.