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Minister urges flu jab

Posted on April 1, 2008, 7:07pm

Health Minister John Hill is reminding South Australians that the time is right to have a flu shot to protect against the coming flu season.

Mr Hill said those who were vulnerable to flu, the elderly, people who are ill, and health workers on the front line, needed to get their annual vaccination sooner rather than later.

“The flu season is upon us and the best way to ward off this illness is to be vaccinated,’” he said.

“In particular I’m urging health workers to get the jab – these people are so important to our health system, and to have our nurses, doctors, and other medical staff getting sick over winter really has a major impact on our hospitals.”

Mr Hill said Health Department figures showed that the rate of flu in South Australia last year jumped by a massive 85 percent.

“There were 490 more cases of laboratory-confirmed flu recorded in SA in 2007 over the previous year,” he said.

“The flu shot won’t stop people getting the usual coughs and colds, but it will dramatically reduce the risk of proper influenza which is a very nasty, unpleasant and potentially serious illness.

“Influenza has the potential to hit hard every winter, and people who are considered at risk – those with chronic diseases like diabetes or heart and lung problems, and older people – are particularly vulnerable.

“The winter season puts significant added pressure on our GP clinics and hospital emergency departments, and if influenza takes hold, that pressure will increase markedly.”

Health Department figures show more than 250,000 people across the state were vaccinated last year including health workers, people over 65 and people with chronic illness – and that figure that doesn’t include people who were vaccinated through their private work place, or through a GP.

Flu vaccinations are readily available through GP surgeries and some local council immunisation providers, and some employers also offer flu vaccination programs for their employees.

Flu vaccine is free for people over 65 years of age; indigenous people over 50 years; and indigenous people between the ages of 15 and 49 years with increased risk factors because of chronic illness.

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