Time for flu jabs
With general practices around Queensland receiving their supplies of this year’s influenza vaccine, it’s time for people to start booking appointments with their GPs to get their flu jab.
“Flu season has started earlier this year, with almost 4,300 cases recorded so far in Queensland,” AMA Queensland President Dr Maria Boulton said.
“We are also still seeing 3,000-plus cases of COVID each week.
“This is a wake-up call to get your flu jabs and your COVID boosters. Vaccination is your best protection against getting seriously ill or even dying.
“We’ve also seen more than 3,700 cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and 2,500 cases of chickenpox (varicella) this year. There’s no vaccine for RSV but we have a very effective vaccine for chickenpox.
“The chickenpox vaccine is given for free to children at 18 months under the National Immunisation Program (NIP), but the booster shot a month later is not covered.
“It’s no surprise that with cost of living on the increase, parents are having difficulty finding the $55 needed for the booster shot to give their child the best immunity.
“We think the booster should be included under the NIP so all parents can protect their children.
“We have also seen two cases of measles in Queensland in the past week. Infants under 12 months of age are too young to be vaccinated against measles, so we encourage everyone who can be vaccinated to get vaccinated to protect our most vulnerable.
“We must continue to heed the lessons of COVID – get vaccinated, wash your hands, practise social distancing and stay home if you are unwell.”
