Pressure point

THE community is being urged to get a flu vaccination now as Australia struggles through what is tracking as the worst flu outbreak on record and Tasmania’s health system feels the pressure of a spike in cases.

More than 72,000 cases have been reported so far this year across the country, including 30,000 last month. Tasmania recorded more than 757 cases of influenza, including 28 at the Royal Hobart Hospital in one day, this week.

NSW and Queensland are at the centre of the outbreak with 34,000 and 18,900 cases respectively so far this year.

The flu record was in 2015 when more than 100,000 people tested positive for the flu. That year there were only 66,186 by August.

“I’m confident this is not

just the biggest on record but the largest flu outbreak we’ve seen for some time,” Immunisation Coalition chair Paul Van Buynder said.

Flu vaccinations are available from pharmacies for as little as $10. Children have to see a GP where the cost should be $25 or lower.

It takes 10 days for the vaccine to work properly so Professor

Van Buynder said people should act now.

On Monday, the Tasmanian Health Service was forced to call in more staff and open extra areas of the Royal Hobart Hospital, with a “level four” escalation plan put in place.

Royal Medical Staff Association chairman Frank Nicklason said the pressure was caused in part by a high number of people presenting with influenza, with 28 confirmed cases.

Last night, THS chief operating officer Nicola Dymond said the hospital had “de-escalated” to level three and patient flow had improved.

Ambulance Tasmania responded to more than 300 incidents on Monday in one of its busiest days on record.

“Anecdotally, yesterday was on a par with the number of calls Ambulance Tasmania responded to during the Dunalley bushfires in 2013,” chief executive Neil Kirby said.

“When you consider that on average we were receiving a call every five minutes for 24 hours, a sub-14 minute response time is very good.”

Health and Community Services Union state secretary Tim Jacobson said surges in patient and ambulance demand, ambulance ramping and bed block were to blame for Monday’s escalation.

Labor Leader Rebecca White told State Parliament the situation at the Royal had reached another level, with ambulances ramped on “a massive scale”.

Health Minister Michael Ferguson said: “This is in an environment of increased demand [and] the leader of the Opposition is scorning people.”