Mum-to-be Lauren Tracey receives her free flu vaccination from Dr Mandy Croft
From this month, eligible Western Australians can start accessing their free influenza vaccine, in time for the peak flu season due in August 2016.
This year’s vaccine will protect against four strains of the virus, up from three last year. The shift to a quadrivalent influenza vaccine reflects advice from immunisation experts that the most vulnerable members of our community benefit from the broadest possible protection.
Flu vaccination is recommended for everyone from six months of age and is available for free under the National Immunisation Program for those people most at risk.
These include people aged 65 years and over, Aboriginal people aged 15 and over, pregnant women and people with underlying medical conditions.
In Western Australia, a free vaccine is also available for children aged over six months and under five years under the State's paediatric flu vaccination program.
Across Australia in 2015, 100,000 people were diagnosed with the flu through laboratory tests and an estimated 17,000 were hospitalised – with an estimate seven percent of these requiring admission to an intensive care unit.
Free flu vaccinations are available to eligible Western Australians through GPs, Aboriginal Health Services and the usual community vaccination providers.
Some providers may charge a fee to administer the free vaccine people should discuss this with their doctors' or immunisation clinic when making an appointment.
For more information about flu, visit Healthy WA.