‘Summer flu’ season strikes Queenslanders
New figures reveal thousands of Queenslanders are suffering this ‘Summer flu’ season, with the number of those afflicted reaching a five-year high.
Queensland Health is now reminding people to ‘remain vigilant and practice good hygiene’ to stop the spread of illness.
The figures
In November 2018, there were 1,361 confirmed cases of flu, while December saw 2,028 confirmed cases.
Over the past five years, an average of 645 confirmed cases were recorded in November, while an average of 534 confirmed cases were recorded in December.
Queensland Health’s Dr Jonathan Malo said overall flu figures were down for the year, but the Summer season was a different story.
“During 2018 we had a mild flu season – not only did we avoid a repeat of 2017, which was one of the worst years for flu on record, but we are set to report the lowest number of cases since 2013,” Dr Malo said.
“However, we have seen an increase in the number of confirmed cases usually reported for this time of year.”
What you can do
According to Dr Malo, it’s important for Queenslanders to remain vigilant during 2019 and get the flu vaccine.
To help, Queensland Health is continuing to offer a free flu vaccine to those eligible, including children aged under 5 and the elderly.
“As we’ve seen in the past, flu can occur at any time of the year and every flu season can be different,” Dr Malo said.
“It’s also important for pregnant women to get vaccinated against flu at any time of the year to protect themselves and their newborns.”
For more information on how you can avoid the Summer flu, visit your regular GP.
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