Why Australia May Be ‘Woefully Unprepared’ for Flu Season
- 7 years ago
Why Australia May Be ‘Woefully Unprepared’ for Flu Season
The Health Department says "the flu vaccine is recommended for everyone from 6 months of age," but Dr. Bartone suggested
that the government could be more absolute in telling people to get vaccinated.
When asked how many Australians had received the influenza vaccination this season, a spokeswoman for the Health
and Human Services Department said that for now, the agency had no idea.
" said Dr. Tony Bartone, the vice president of the medical association. that Up to now, people have had a misconception about what influenza is,
This month, Michael Gannon, the president of the Australian Medical Association, said the country was "woefully unprepared" for the pandemic flu outbreak
and pointed to the low rate at which people receive their flu shots.
The Australian character is, ‘I’m not going to be bowled over by the flu’ — not give it its due respect." In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in the United States voted to opt for a "universal" flu vaccination, broadening the pool of people in the country considered most at risk.
There are similar gaps in data when it comes to documenting fatalities: the Health
and Human Services Department in Victoria has reported 95 influenza-related deaths — a number that, on its own, is larger than national figures.
The Health Department says "the flu vaccine is recommended for everyone from 6 months of age," but Dr. Bartone suggested
that the government could be more absolute in telling people to get vaccinated.
When asked how many Australians had received the influenza vaccination this season, a spokeswoman for the Health
and Human Services Department said that for now, the agency had no idea.
" said Dr. Tony Bartone, the vice president of the medical association. that Up to now, people have had a misconception about what influenza is,
This month, Michael Gannon, the president of the Australian Medical Association, said the country was "woefully unprepared" for the pandemic flu outbreak
and pointed to the low rate at which people receive their flu shots.
The Australian character is, ‘I’m not going to be bowled over by the flu’ — not give it its due respect." In 2010, the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention in the United States voted to opt for a "universal" flu vaccination, broadening the pool of people in the country considered most at risk.
There are similar gaps in data when it comes to documenting fatalities: the Health
and Human Services Department in Victoria has reported 95 influenza-related deaths — a number that, on its own, is larger than national figures.