Flu Season Surge: 50% Rise in Hospital Admissions Amid Low Vaccination

As the flu season progresses, Australia is witnessing a stark increase in hospital admissions, with a recent report indicating a 50% rise in cases over a two-week period. This alarming trend coincides with a national influenza vaccination rate that remains worryingly low, at just under 30%. The Australian Respiratory Surveillance report details that there were 431 hospital admissions related to influenza during the last two weeks of June, compared to 281 in the preceding fortnight. This surge not only reflects an uptick in the severity of the flu season but also raises critical concerns about the effectiveness of public health strategies currently in place.

The data reveals that from January to April of this year, 180 individuals died from influenza, marking a 73.1% increase compared to the same timeframe in 2024. Tragically, two children under the age of 16 were among the deceased, alongside one death attributed to Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Notably, while hospital admissions are rising, the overall number of influenza cases reported remains lower than in the previous year, which raises questions about the vulnerability of the population and the potential impact of low vaccination rates.

Dr. Patrick Reading, Director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Reference and Research on Influenza, emphasized that the increased hospitalization does not necessarily imply that this year's strain is more virulent. He posited that the higher hospitalization rates could be attributed to a larger number of individuals who have not been vaccinated or infected in recent years, thus leaving a greater proportion of vulnerable individuals. "We might have an increasing cohort of people that haven’t been vaccinated and/or infected in the last few years, so more vulnerable targets," Dr. Reading stated.

The current flu season has been particularly harsh on hospitals across the nation, leading to significant operational challenges. In Queensland, for instance, four hospitals paused elective surgeries due to overwhelming emergency department presentations. State Health Minister Tim Nicholls reported a 16% increase in patient presentations this year, with 90% of flu patients being unvaccinated. "This year it’s been worse. Our health system is running at over 100% capacity, which means even a slight bump in patient numbers can have a disproportionate effect on emergency overcrowding," stated Dr. Peter Allely, President-elect of the Australasian College of Emergency Medicine.

Compounding these issues are staffing shortages that have arisen due to health workers contracting the flu themselves. The surveillance report illustrates a notable increase in the number of intensive care staff unavailable due to illness or COVID-19 exposure, a situation particularly dire in South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia.

Vaccination rates for the flu remain troublingly low, with only 28.9% of the population vaccinated for the current flu season. Alarmingly, only 13.7% of children aged five to 14 years have received the vaccine. The flu vaccine is provided free of charge to children aged six months to five years and seniors over 65 or those considered high-risk. As Dr. Reading noted, increasing vaccination coverage is essential to alleviating pressure on the healthcare system. "Vaccination is going to reduce your likelihood of going to hospital with severe disease and take some pressure off our system," he stressed. The cost for the flu vaccine ranges between $20 to $25 for individuals not covered by the national immunisation program, and individuals are reminded that prior infection does not guarantee immunity against all circulating flu strains.

As the flu season continues, health officials urge the public to consider vaccination as a critical measure to combat the rising hospitalisation rates. The current dominance of influenza A, alongside a concerning increase in influenza B cases, particularly in children, indicates that the flu season may worsen before it improves. The latest surveillance report suggests that while COVID-19 infections have declined for the first time since April, the stability of RSV cases offers little respite as the healthcare system grapples with these multifaceted challenges. Immediate action to increase vaccination rates and bolster healthcare resources is imperative as Australia navigates through this challenging flu season.