Influenza
With Covid vaccination still front and centre of Australia’s response to the pandemic, it’s easy to forget about our annual flu vaccine. The last 2 years have disrupted the usual seasonal pattern of influenza in this country – a combination of closed international borders, social distancing, lockdowns and masks has meant that we really haven’t seen much flu since 2019. This means we have become a bit complacent about the flu vaccine with recent data from ATAGI (the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) showing a big drop in flu vaccination rates, especially in children. This is concerning for a number of reasons – there are likely many children, especially under the age of 5, whose immune systems have never been exposed to influenza and we know this age group are at greater risk from severe flu infection and complications, unlike Covid which generally causes a mild illness in kids. Pregnant women and adults over the age of 65 are also at greater risk.
Most influenza in this country tends to hitch a ride here on international flights. With borders reopening as well as most Covid restrictions easing, health experts are concerned that we could have a resurgence of flu cases this winter. Flu vaccination is recommended for all adults and children over the age of 6 months. Especially at risk of serious disease are:
- Adults over the age of 65 and children aged 6 months to 5 years
- Pregnant women
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders aged over 6 months
- People of any age with underlying medical conditions such as
- heart disease
- chronic lung disease
- chronic neurological disease
- immunocompromising conditions or medication
- diabetes – type 1 and 2
- chronic kidney disease
- blood disorders
Because the influenza strains that circulate are slightly different each year, the influenza vaccine is updated each year. This means that even if you have had influenza before, or were recently vaccinated with the 2021 flu vaccine, you still need the 2022 vaccination.
We are expecting the 2022 flu vaccine to be available from April. April-May is the best time to be vaccinated so that peak immunity coincides with the expected flu season of June-September. We will let you know when the vaccine is available via the News page on our website.
Covid boosters and will we need a 4th dose?
There is no doubt that a 3rd dose, or booster, of the Covid vaccine is important to provide the best protection against the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. At the time of writing, there is still plenty of virus circulating in the community, with between 5000-10,000 new cases a day here in NSW. Thankfully, hospitalisations and ICU admissions are declining as booster rates increase. A booster dose is currently recommended for everyone aged 16 and over, with eligibility kicking in 3 months after the second dose. Boosters are still necessary for optimal protection even if you have had Covid and are recommended once you have fully recovered from your infection. ATAGI (the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation) recently updated their recommendations to indicate that your Covid vaccination status is not considered up to date until you have had your 3rd dose.
But will we need a 4th dose? ATAGI already recommend a 4th dose for certain groups, such as people who are immunocompromised who may not have had a full immune response to the primary 3 dose course. But what about the rest of us?
You may have heard that the CDC in the US has recently published some findings suggesting that immunity to the omicron variant may be waning around 4-5 months after the 3rd dose. Israel is now recommending 4th doses to all its health care workers and people aged over 60 and is considering whether to open it up to all adults.
Here in Australia, health experts are still waiting for more data before changing their recommendations. For now it looks as though protection against severe disease and death is still holding up after 3 doses. We are certainly watching this space closely and will keep you up to date via our News page on the website.
If you have any questions regarding influenza or covid vaccination, talk to your GP, we’re here to help
Further reading: