Vaccination push targets vulnerable
DOCTORS are urging the community to vaccinate against influenza with latest statistics revealing an increase in the number of people diagnosed with the potentially deadly disease.
So far this year, there have been 511 confirmed cases of influenza recorded by the Townsville Hospital and Health Service compared to 320 for the same period last year, and 215 for the same period in 2015.
“The thing we have to be careful with recorded flu statistics is that most people who get the flu don’t go to the doctor and those who do are not always tested,” the health service’s director, Dr Steven Donohue, said yesterday.
“Confirmed cases are the tip of the iceberg.
“There are many, many more cases that have happened and will happen.”
Dr Donohue said Townsville had a small flu outbreak in March this year, and another outbreak was expected in a couple of months.
“We expect another flu peak in Townsville to coincide with the winter outbreak in the southern states,” he said. “This year in March we had an earlier small peak but it doesn’t necessarily mean this year will have a catastrophic flu outbreak in Townsville.”
Dr Martin Carr, of the Belgian Gardens Medical Centre, urged the community to get their flu vaccination.
“The practice has noticed an increase in the number of people coming in, especially parents with young children which is very, very positive,” he said. “We’ve also noticed an increase in the number of presentations with respiratory conditions.”
Dr Donohue said pregnant women were the number one risk group for influenza.
“Pregnant women are more susceptible to more serous strains of influenza,” he said. “It should be on the top of the list of priorities for pregnant women to get a flu vaccination. Children and the elderly are at a higher risk as well.
“We’ve known for years flu vaccines are safe for children over six months of age. That’s when it’s important to vaccinate. We also know that mostly the flu is spread in the community among the primary school aged and childcare centre aged group of children.
“The more people who are vaccinated against the flu the better.”