Melbourne girl, eight, dies as Australia's 'horror' flu season continues
An eight-year-old girl is the latest victim of Victoria’s “horror” flu season, with people urged to get vaccinated and not ignore symptoms.
The death of the Melbourne youngster on Friday is “horrifically sad” and follows the flu death of young dad Ben Ihlow on Father’s Day, the state’s health minister, Jill Hennessy, said.
“What it does show us is that we have a horror flu season on our hands,” Hennessy told media on Monday.
“The number of people with influenza has doubled. People are not just getting the flu, they’re getting very, very sick with this flu.
“Do not underestimate how serious ... influenza can be. Don’t dismiss your symptoms.
“The reality is we can’t beat nature. The ongoing lesson is we have just got to keep trying to make sure that we are better protecting and better supporting people through better vaccines and care and support.”
The Victorian Department of Health confirmed the eight-year-old girl died at the Angliss hospital at Upper Ferntree Gully.
The premier, Daniel Andrews, extended his condolences to her family and said medical staff were working hard to tackle the particularly bad flu season.
There have been more than 13,000 flu cases in Victoria over the past few months, including 95 deaths, many of which were at aged care facilities.
Eight elderly residents died at St John’s retirement village at Wangaratta in August and early September.
Hennessy said she would discuss the flu season with health experts at a round table on Monday.
“We’re not quite sure if the flu season has peaked or not. It is right up the eastern seaboard of Australia,” she said.
On 1 August, the New South Wales health department released data which indicated a particularly bad flu year. More than 11,200 influenza cases were reported in July across the state.
More than 50 outbreaks in NSW aged care homes in the last week of July prompted warnings from doctors for sick people to avoid visiting elderly relatives.
By the week ending 10 September, flu activity was in decline in NSW, with 9,039 cases confirmed and a further 42 outbreaks in aged care facilities.
The federal Department of Health’s latest influenza surveillance report, which recorded flu prevalence up to 1 September, said the virus peaked nationwide in the fortnight ending 18 August, with this season’s outbreak showing compa-
rable or higher levels than in recent years.
Notification rates were highest in adults aged 80 or over, followed by
children aged five to nine.