GP’s push for more flu jabs

Hospital cases ‘could be avoided’

A LEADING Tasmanian general practitioner warns the more than 200 flu-related hospitalisations so far this year could have been avoided if the state aimed for higher immunity.

The Department of Health’s latest FluTas Report shows there were 560 influenza cases notified in Tasmania during August this year. In the four years to 2019 an average of 478 cases of influenza were notified in the same month.

Flu-related hospitalisations dropped from 328 over April to September last year to 215 over the same period in 2019.

Of the 215 flu-related hospital admissions this year, 10 were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.

Tasmanian general practitioner Dr Bastian Seidel said hospital visits caused by the flu could be avoided.

“I’d argue most could have been prevented if we’d aim to achieve herd immunity in Tasmania — that is 80 per cent should be vaccinated,” Dr Seidel said.

“The message is simple. If you’re over six months old and want to protect yourself and the community against deadly influenza, get a flu jab every year.”

The State Government earlier this year implemented its Winter Demand Management Plan which saw low-cost flu vaccinations for children made available at pharmacies.

“We were the first state in Australia to introduce a childhood vaccination program, increasing access via pharmacies to approximately 300,000 Tasmanians statewide as well as distributing free immunisations for many eligible people,” Health Minister Sarah Courtney said.

The State Government didn’t address whether it would consider rolling out free flu vaccines for Tasmanians, when asked by the Mercury.

The Federal Government’s Influenza Surveillance Report shows proportionally Tasmania had the most confirmed notifications of influenza A strain of all states — 88.7 per cent of confirmed influenza.

But Tasmania Public Health Deputy Director Scott McKeown said the per capita rate of laboratory-confirmed flu was lower than other states this year and increased rates of flu testing had contributed to increased notifications.

“As in all other jurisdictions, influenza A was the most common strain that caused notified cases of influenza in Tasmania,” he said.

“While there was an unseasonal higher level of laboratory-confirmed flu present in April and May, as there was interstate, levels of flu detected during the ‘traditional’ flu season have been unremarkable in Tasmania.”