“Influenza is actually a reasonably severe disease in young children,” Chant said,adding managing the virus for the under-fives – with both eligibility for a vaccine and the likelihood of more serious illness – was a “totally different message” than comes with COVID-19.
Eight children aged under five have been admitted to hospital with influenza-like illness so far in 2022,compared to an average of no admissions in the age group during the same months from 2017 to 2019.
Over the 2017 and 2018 flu seasons,four children aged under five died from the flu in NSW.
Closed international borders have kept influenza at bay over the past two years,meaning many young children have next to no immunity against the virus.
However,just 16,000 children aged six months to five years in NSW had received their influenza vaccine by the start of May,according to data from the Australian Immunisation Register. The shot is free for the age group,as well as for pregnant women.
Chant said people should view the flu shot with the same importance as COVID-19 vaccinations,adding measures used to reduce COVID-19 transmission such as wearing masks and social distancing would also have an impact on influenza.
“I personally think that we underestimate the impact of flu and the need to take measures. This year,with both COVID and flu,we need to do all we can to protect ourselves and protect other people,and that will also reduce the burden on our hospitals and healthcare providers,” Chant said.