50% flu shot uptake fear

THE Pharmacy Guild has launched a concerted push to raise awareness of influenza vaccination via pharmacy, with the release of new research indica ng one in two Australian adults don’t plan to vaccinate against flu this year.

That’s despite last year’s record flu season which saw more than 249,000 reported infec ons and approximately 3,000 deaths.

Guild na onal president, George Tambassis said Australian adults were generally misinformed about the seriousness, and unaware of some infec ous aspects of the flu.

“Most Australians don’t realise how infec ous the flu is, with 77% of respondents unaware the flu virus can remain ac ve when airborne for 45 minutes or more.

“Our research showed more than half (57%) of Australian adults mistakenly consider themselves to be at low risk of contrac ng the flu,” Tambassis said.

The Guild president emphasised that even the fit and healthy could be seriously affected by the flu virus and the best defence was vaccination.

“Flu vaccinations promote community immunity, whereby if enough people are vaccinated against the infec on, they can help protect those unable to be vaccinated, including immunocompromised/sick, or very young infants,” said Tambassis.

More than one million Australians received their flu vaccine in a pharmacy in 2017, but 57% of the popula on perceived themselves at low risk and failed to be vaccinated.

“In Australia, 95% of capital city‐based residents, and 72 per cent of those based in regional areas live within 2.5 kilometres of a pharmacy,” Tambassis added.