Viral outbreak claims life of four-year-old girl as Queensland hospital admissions rise – and it’s set to get worse

A four-year-old girl is among 72 Queenslanders who have died from the flu this year, with experts warning the worst is yet to come.

Data shows 4,162 Queenslanders have been admitted to hospital with flu since January, a 1,000 drop in hospital admissions for the whole of 2019.

The increase is attributed to the hesitancy towards vaccination after the Covid pandemic.

Only 10 percent of hospitalized patients have received the flu shot, despite the state government offering the vaccinations free of charge.

Of the 72 deaths recorded so far, 13 were between the ages of 40 and 64 and 58 were over 65.

The four-year-old girl was the only child to die. There are 670 children hospitalized with flu.

The remaining hospital admissions concerned 1,584 adults aged 18 to 65 and 1,908 elderly people.

Only 1,686,800 Queenslanders over the age of six months have received their flu vaccination, which is about 30 per cent of the eligible population.

The state’s Health Minister Shannon Fentiman urged Queenslanders to get free flu vaccinations, with vaccinations available at the Ekka show in Brisbane.

Queensland flu epidemic has claimed the lives of a four-year-old girl and 71 others

The state’s Health Minister Shannon Fentiman (pictured) urged Queenslanders to get a free flu vaccination

Queensland is the only Australian state to offer free flu vaccinations, yet only 28 percent of the population have received the jab.

The program has cost taxpayers $47 million over the past two years.

Ms Fentiman warned that it ‘may be weeks before the worst flu epidemic occurs’.

“I am asking all Queenslanders to get their free flu vaccination,” she said on Sunday.

‘No one wants their child or loved one to be hospitalised. We know that vaccination makes a big difference when it comes to the risk of being hospitalised with flu.

“This doubling in hospital admissions is concerning for Queensland’s youngest residents and I am urging parents across the state to get themselves and their children vaccinated.”

Ms Fentiman said the vaccine was being made free after two “horrible flu seasons” in 2022 and 2023.

“You can get your free flu shot at the pharmacy, at your GP and even at Ekka,” she said.

Only 1,686,800 Queenslanders over the age of six months have received their flu vaccination, about 30 per cent of the eligible population

Data shows 4,162 Queenslanders have been admitted to hospital with flu since January, with the increase attributed to vaccine hesitancy following the Covid pandemic.

Premier Steven Mile said it was “deeply worrying” to see the number of children in hospital with flu rising sharply.

“It is critical that everyone who can gets vaccinated against the flu to protect the most vulnerable people in our community,” he said.

“That’s why we made the flu vaccine free, so that cost is no longer a barrier to staying safe and healthy.”