In a startling development, the monthly influenza cases in Australia have doubled from May to June, prompting urgent calls for vaccinations and heightened public health measures. The National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System reported a significant increase in influenza notifications across five jurisdictions, with numbers escalating rapidly.
The states of ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Victoria witnessed a doubling of recorded influenza cases in June compared to May. This surge comes on the heels of the country grappling with over 150,000 influenza cases during the first half of the year. Experts are particularly alarmed by the sharp spike in case notifications between the fifth and sixth months of 2025.
Drilling down into the numbers reveals staggering increases in various regions. Notably, South Australia saw a 146% rise (from 2106 to 5182 cases), Victoria experienced a 138% surge (from 7013 to 16,700 cases), NSW observed a 131% jump (from 9111 to 21,029 cases), while Queensland reported a 105% increase (from 4571 to 9372 cases). The ACT recorded an alarming uptick of 150%, Tasmania and Western Australia both saw a substantial increase of 77%, while Northern Territory remained relatively stable with just a modest rise of 9%.
To combat this concerning trend, proactive measures have been taken by some states. For instance, Queensland has made flu vaccines free for the remainder of the year as part of its strategy to curb rising case numbers. Similarly, Western Australia announced free flu vaccines for July in an effort to mitigate the impact.
Health authorities emphasize that getting vaccinated is crucial not only for individual protection but also for community well-being. Dr. Cathryn Hester from RACGP Queensland stressed the importance by stating:
“Getting a flu shot is the best and easiest way to keep yourself, your family, and your community as safe as possible.”
Echoing these sentiments, Dr. Ramya Raman from RACGP WA highlighted how vaccination plays a pivotal role in reducing severity and transmission within communities:
“Flu immunisation coverage is down… if you haven’t had a flu shot this year now is the time… Getting a flu shot is the best and easiest way to keep yourself… safe.”
Amidst efforts to tackle influenza surges across different states through vaccination drives and enhanced public health initiatives comes another pressing concern related to respiratory infections. WA Health issued an urgent warning following reports indicating incorrect administration of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) immunisations.
Emphasizing precision in administering RSV vaccines tailored for specific patient groups such as children up to two years old or pregnant women aged between 28-36 weeks among others is critical due care must be exercised during vaccine administration processes.
Errors noted included instances where nirsevimab meant for children under two years was mistakenly given to females aged between15-54 leading adverse events such as fatigue fever rash amongst other symptoms which were later reported.
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