Medicos say flu not taken seriously

HEALTH Minister Steven Miles has made a plea for Queenslanders to get the flu jab as medical professionals criticised Australia’s low influenza immunisation rates during last year’s record season.

A forum of flu experts at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital yesterday was told just 27 per cent of Australians were vaccinated against the flu last year, which saw 56,095 Queenslanders test positive to the virus – more than double the year before.

General practitioner Anita Green, board chairwoman of the Brisbane North Primary Health Network, described the low flu immunisation take-up as “appalling”.

“It worries me because the flu needs to be taken seriously,” Dr Green said.

More than 6000 Queenslanders required admission to hospital with the flu in 2017.

Across Australia, about 1100 people died from the flu in 2017.