THERE are concerns from health experts that the upcoming flu season may be severe.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath and Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard today received their flu shots, prompting a reminder for all Queenslanders to book in their annual flu vaccination.
The Minister said this year was not the year to skip getting the vaccine.
“The last two years have been incredibly difficult on everyone,” Ms D’Ath said.
“I understand the urge to want to move back to normal and to put the pandemic in the past, but part of getting back to normal is getting back to our normal shots.
“The risks of flu haven’t changed, and in fact, are higher this year, so our attitude to vaccinations shouldn’t either.
“Queenslanders have worked so hard to protect one another up to now, so please roll up your sleeves and continue to keep our community safe from potentially fatal viruses.”
Dr Gerrard added his concerns about the severity of the flu season, following low flu numbers over the last two years.
“While we cannot confirm exactly how any flu season will behave, I definitely have concerns about how low natural immunity will be in the community this year,” Dr Gerrard said.
“We saw a very low level of flu transmission last year and the year before, and this was likely due to the number of public health measures that we had in place at the time.”
