Flu season 2023: what you need to know
Influenza is expected to hit hard this year. Here’s what you can do.
Key points
2023 flu numbers will be substantially up because of relatively few 2022 cases due to COVID-19 precautions.
Travellers from the northern hemisphere have been bringing flu to Australia for several months.
The flu vaccine has been updated and is free for people over 65.
You may have been concerned by recent news reports that Australia had 100 times as many influenza cases in the first two months of 2023 than at the same time the previous year.
That, partly, is because the rates of flu in the first part of 2022 were artificially low because of the precautions we were taking at that time to combat COVID-19.
Hand-washing, mask-wearing, use of sanitisers and physical distancing helped tackle the flu as well as COVID.
And because people weren’t moving around the world as much as usual, there was less of the flu virus coming into the country.
Things have pretty much returned to normal this year, with open borders meaning that the flu virus is heading our way from the northern hemisphere.
Some experts predict that our usual levels of immunity will be weakened this year, making it even more important for seniors to consider having a flu vaccine.
Yes, but you should still get vaccinated.
There are prescription medications called “antiviral drugs” that can be used to treat flu illness.
Antivirals are not sold over the counter. You can only get them if you have a prescription from a health care provider.
They are different from antibiotics, which fight against bacterial infections. Flu antiviral drugs only treat flu — they are different to antivirals used to treat other infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
If you are at higher risk of serious flu complications due to age or other medical conditions, and you develop flu symptoms, check with your doctor promptly.
Flu signs and symptoms can include having a fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. However, not everyone with the flu has a fever.
Yes. Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for getting a vaccine. While a vaccine can vary in how well it works, it is best way to help prevent seasonal flu and its potentially serious complications.
Everyone six months and older should receive a flu vaccine every year. Antiviral drugs are a second line of defence that can be used to treat flu (including seasonal flu and variant flu viruses) if you get sick.
Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of getting flu and its possible complications. Being vaccinated builds immunity to the virus and helps prevent transmission to other people.
It is extremely important for people who are in a high-risk group — and that includes all people over 65 — to be vaccinated. It is proven to reduce risk of contracting the flu and suffering from its possible complications.
The flu vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program for several groups of people, including seniors over 65, and the rollout of the 2023 version is happening this month (April).
People who are not eligible for a free vaccine can purchase the vaccine from vaccination providers, including local GPs and many pharmacies.
Related reading: Centers for Disease Control, Queensland Government, Doherty Institute, The Conversation
