Doctors blame ‘cheap’ vaccine for worst flu season on record

Doctors claim Australia has had its worst flu season because of a cheap vaccine.

A whopping 217,000 Australians had confirmed cases of the flu this year, more than twice the previous record set in 2015.

Doctors blame a $6 budget version of the flu vaccine used nationally.

A stronger, more effective, vaccine is $8 a dose but not available in Australia.

Australia’s chief medical officer says the claims about cheap vaccines are false – with the more expensive vaccines not approved here.

Paul van Buynder, chairman of the Immunisation Coalition, told Ross and John there was no doubt the vaccine didn’t work.

“We’ve had the worst flu season we’ve seen,” he said.

“The hospitals will tell you, the GPs and emergency departments will tell you – we know the vaccine didn’t work.

“There’s a series of things we need to do differently in order to ensure we don’t repeat this in future.”

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