Gold Coast residents are being advised to take action now to avoid falling sick as flu spreads rapidly through the city. Here’s what you need to do.
A BUSY home doctor service will ramp up the number of doctors it has on staff as the flu season worsens on the Gold Coast.
House Call Doctors has reported treating more than 800 patients for symptoms of the flu in the Gold Coast so far this year.
More than 20,000 cases of the flu, or influenza, have been reported in Queensland since the start of the year and the common viral disease has claimed at least 38 lives across the state and 192 nationally.
House Call Doctors chief executive Wayne Ormond said during last year’s flu season doctors had to be brought in from Brisbane and interstate to meet demand on the Gold Coast.
“There have been close to 20,000 flu cases already this year in Queensland and we’re urging people to get the flu vaccine and if they are sick, stay home from work and keep children home from school,” he said.
“The best time to get vaccinated is now, so people should be going to their GP to have the flu shot before the worst of the flu season hits.”
Mr Ormond said doctors had already been rostered on for extra shifts, but more were still needed.
Since the start of the year, public hospitals on the Coast have reported at least 1555 cases of the flu.
An emergency department crisis across southeast Queensland in March was partially attributed to an increase in flu cases.
Gold Coast Health states influenza vaccines are funded under the state and national immunisation programs for children aged six months to five years, pregnant woman, people aged over 65 and those with certain medical conditions.
But anyone who wants to protect themselves against the flu can talk to their doctor for more information.
Original Source: Gold Coast Bulletin | 28 June 2019
Also published in: Daily Telegraph, The Mercury, Northern Territory News, Townsville Bulletin, Geelong Advertiser, Cairns Post, Herald Sun, The Advertiser & Courier Mail
