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Australia struggles against vaccine fatigue as it battles flu outbreak

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  • Australia struggles against vaccine fatigue as it battles flu outbreak

    Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/au...s-flu-outbreak

    Australia struggles against vaccine fatigue as it battles flu outbreak
    Published
    9 Hours Ago

    SYDNEY - Australia is battling its first serious influenza outbreak since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving the authorities struggling to persuade a vaccine-weary public to get flu shots.

    Official data showed there were 65,770 flu cases in May - more than double the month's previous record set during a severe outbreak in 2019. But the numbers have been rapidly increasing.

    According to the federal government's influenza surveillance system, there were 147,155 cases of flu recorded from Jan 1 to June 19 this year. Of these, 55,101 or more than one third occurred from June 5. There have been 54 flu-related deaths.

    The outbreak marks a sharp turnaround from the past two years, when lockdowns, border closures and social distancing measures that were imposed due to Covid-19 helped to limit the spread of influenza.

    In the entire year of 2021, just 598 flu cases were reported.

    But Australia is now a mask-free, open-border, post-lockdown nation.

    As a result, both Covid-19 and influenza can spread freely, especially as the past two years of largely flu-free living has meant that immunity is low...
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