Why getting the flu vaccine is more important than ever this year

Australians are being urged not to forget the flu jab, with an infectious diseases doctor naming this year “perhaps one of the most important years ever” to get the vaccine.

Director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services, Paul Griffin, says getting the flu jab is particularly important this year “based on the fact we’ve had really low flu numbers, because what we did for COVID was really effective against the flu, and we’ve had low flu vaccine rates”.

“Our population is really susceptible to the flu right now,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Emily Power, filling in for Ross and Russel.

“A lot of people underestimate the impact of the flu.

“It can certainly result in loss of life and in a bad flu year we can lose in the order of a small number of thousands.”

Professor Griffin also urged those who haven’t yet had a COVID-19 booster, and those eligible for a fourth dose, to receive those.

“The thing this year to consider as well is even a little bit of flu around and a little bit of COVID, if we don’t have people well vaccinated against both, is going to be a huge burden on our healthcare system.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about the flu vaccine and why it’s so important this year