Free Flu Jabs for Hunter Kids

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Children in the Hunter are now eligible for free flu jabs.

Children aged between six months and five years old are eligible under the NSW Government's $3.5 million influenza vaccination program.

It comes after a severe flu season last year which saw the state record it's worst flu season on record. In August last year, approximately 3,300 cases of flu had been recorded. Across the state the number of cases reached more than 12,000.

The vaccine will cover four strains of influenza virus, two A strains and two B strains, likely to be circulating this winter. If your child has never had a flu vaccination before they will need two doses, one month apart.

"We all know how horrendous the flu can be and this is especially hard on the smallest members of our family," said Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald.

"Little kids are also most likely to spread the flu so a free flu jab will not only keep them safe, but will protect others they come into contact with."

NSW childhood vaccination rates have increased by 6.3 per cent since 2010, to 93.9 per cent in 2017.

Image kids.britannica.com

Feel like everyone around you is sick? Well it's been the worst flu season on record.

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE and JESSICA ROUSE

It's been confirmed: NSW has just recorded its worst flu season on record, with 64 more cases than last year reported across the Hunter New England region.

In the Hunter alone 3,300 cases have been reported.

There are four strains of the virus circulating the country, with almost half of all national sufferers in NSW. It's thought that because of international travel, strains can travel around the world more easily - when there's an outbreak in the southern hemisphere, it almost certainly travels to the northern hemisphere.

Shadow Health Minister Walt Secord says people suffering from flu symptoms are clogging up our hospital systems more and more.

"Emergency departments should be for heart attacks, car accidents, major trauma so when people get really really sick from the flu it puts an impact on our emergency departments and we have a situation where emergency departments around the state are at breaking point - I know that Calvary Mater Hospital has had a particularly difficult time with the flu season this year."

Walt Secord says our hospitals are struggling to meet demand and in the Hunter New England there are more flu-related ambulance arrivals than in Central Sydney.

"The Berejiklian government was caught completely unprepared - the outbreaks have put enormous pressure on the hospital system when they could have in fact embarked on a vaccination program to encourage people to get their vaccinations. So next year lets hope they get a vaccination program started around May so we can avoid this - the last thing we want to see is our hospitals chock full of people with flu symptoms."

Achoo! Worst flu month on record

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Shadow Minister for Health Walt Secord has renewed his criticism of the Berejiklian Government after a massive jump in the number of flu cases in the Hunter and across the state.

We are just over half way through July, and already there's been more than 350 reported cases of influenza this month in the Hunter's hospitals and across the state there been a record4,085 reported cases to the official database for NSW Influenza notifications.

Walt Secord says the government were unprepared for the huge spike in influenza cases which he says has led to an increase in the number of "bed block" incidents.

"So you have a situation where patients wait at every stage, they wait for an ambulance, they wait for the emergency department and then they wait for a bed. Sadly the Berejiklian government has been caught unprepared for the flu season - we're on track to have one of the worst years on record for flu."

The flu season is smashing regional hospitals, particularly The Calvary Mater Hospital.

"Calvary Mater Hospital in Newcastle is one of the three hospitals that have been cited as being under enormous pressure so again Newcastle is also feeling the brunt of this flu season," said Walt Secord.

He adds while it may be too late for the government to do anything about it this flu season, there are things we can do ourselves.

"You can still get your flu shot - if you're feeling well you can get your flu shot. I had my flu shot in April and I haven't missed a moment of work so again there's still time to get your flu shot. August is usually seen as the high month, the worst time of the year so there's still time."