Australians have been warned that the coming flu season could be the worst on record after the US and the UK were struck with rising flu matters.
Until March 31 to March 31, there were 46,325 flu cases confirmed in Australia, until 31 March, the highest number ever registered during the first quarter.
“Australians must be ready for the potential of a large flu season here,” said Peter Guthrey, senior pharmacist of the pharmaceutical society of Australia.
'Flu can quickly spread throughout the world through international journeys.
“Many people in the US and the UK have been sick of flu and this continued late in their flu season.”
The World Health Organization reported in February that flu cases remained high in the northern hemisphere.
Several British hospitals had declared critical incidents due to high cases and various schools in the US were closed in the winter.
So far, more than a quarter of cases (18,100) have taken place in New South Wales, according to the Immunization Coalition.
Australia has registered its highest number ever of flu cases in the first quarter of 2025
Until March 31 to March 31, there were 46,325 flu cases confirmed in Australia, until 31 March, the highest number ever registered during the first quarter
The number is almost double the cases registered in Queensland (9,872) and Victoria (9,737).
West -Australia has registered 4,173 cases, while Laboratoria have found 2,488 in South Australia, 813 in Northern Territory, 577 in ACT and 565 in Tasmania.
Many of those with the flu are not tested, which means, along with delays in reporting, the number of cases may be under -represented.
Seasonal flu is a common and highly contagious respiratory infection, usually caused by flu A or B viruses, but there are several subtypes and trunks.
The virus is different from Covid-19.
Influenza can generally cause mild to severe disease, with most people recover within a few days, but some run a greater risk of becoming seriously unwell.
Mater Hospital Brisbane's director of infectious diseases Professor Paul Griffin warned that a low absorption of vaccinations would endanger vulnerable groups.
“Every year we see people, especially young people and pregnant women, who end up in the hospital when they could have been protected with a simple vaccination,” he told the courier mail.
Australia-wide low absorption of vaccinations can pose an important threat to vulnerable groups
'The flu season has not officially started, but we are already seeing high levels of flu in the community.
'Many people wrongly assume that the flu only affects older adults, such as COVID-19, but this is not the case.
“Flu is a serious disease, but the vaccines are safe and effective.”
Almost half (46 percent) of the Australians do not believe that Influenza is a serious disease or is not believed in vaccination benefits against Influenza, according to a 2024 study by the immunization coalition.
It also revealed that many Australians (73 percent) believe that wrong information influences vaccination rates, and that this wrong information is mainly from social media.
IN 2024, Australia, registered more than 365,000 reported flu stores and more than 4,200 people were admitted to the hospital, making it the largest flu season in Australia since 2019.
Between January and August 2024 there were 810 deaths with regard to flu, compared to 416 flu -related deaths in the same period the previous year.
