Influenza vaccines across Orange are running low and more supplies are expected this week with some pharmacies and doctors injecting as many people in recent weeks as they did during last year's flu season.
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This year, parents are urged to have children aged from six-months to under five vaccinated against influenza, and people aged over 65 are also being urged to see their doctor to get a new vaccine that would give them a better immune response.
Doctor David Howe said the request for people to be vaccinated against influenza was earlier this year due to the COVID-19 epidemic. He said the private vaccine arrived in March and the government stock arrived in April.
Because the vaccine only lasts about four months he said some people might need a second shot depending on how the flu season goes this year.
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The free government influenza vaccinations from the for the National Immunisation Program are for children aged between six-months and under five years, anyone over 65 years of age, all Aboriginal people from six months of age, and pregnant women.
Anyone between five and 65 with chronic health conditions, impaired immunity, factors predisposing to severe influenza, should consult with their GP.
"Influenza is a significant illness for babies and children, we did see quite a lot of them last year, even without COVID-19 we need to vaccinate them," he said.
Dr Howe said demand across all age groups was higher this year, and people who don't usually get them are coming in for the shot.
We have given out our number of vaccines that we gave out throughout the whole flu season last year in a matter of weeks.
- Practice nurse Sarah Wykes
"It's important just for the protection against influenza itself and influenza is quite a serious disease, it's more than having a common cold and a significant number of people die," he said.
"Any reaction you get from the vaccine is not actually the flu, if you get a reaction its probably a good thing."
He said a reaction was a sign of a person's immune response.
Dr Howe said if a person contracted influenza and had COVID-19 at the same time it was likely to produce a more serious illness.
He said there could also be difficulties between distinguishing between influenza and COVID-19, which could affect treatment.
"I've had one patient [this year], we tested him for COVID-19 but he tested positive for influenza," Mr Howe said.
Colour City Medical Practice nurse Sarah Wykes said the practice got its first lot of influenza vaccines for people on the government schedule in early April but it is still waiting on follow up orders.
"We have given out our number of vaccines that we gave out throughout the whole flu season last year in a matter of weeks," she said.
Strains contained in influenza vaccines:
- A/Brisbane/02/2018 (H1N1)
- A/South Australia/34/2019 (H3N2)
- B/Washington/02/2019
- B/Phuket/3073/2013.
"There has been a large uptake on patients coming in to get script for private vaccines from the GPs.
"All the different brands of vaccines for everyone under the age of 65 are much the same."
However, she said the new adjuvanted quadrivalent vaccine for over 65 year olds gives them a better immune response to the vaccine.
Peter Smith Terry White Chemmart pharmacist Ainsley Logan said about 2000 flu shots have been given since March.
She said businesses are partnering with pharmacies across Orange so their employees can receive a flu shot.
"This year is the first year that pharmacists can cater to 10-year-olds and older and we have found that parted have been taking it up in the pharmacy," she said.
Some people who came in early for the influenza vaccine were people who were aged over 65 who didn't want to wait for the government vaccine even though it is a better option.
"With the whole COVID-19, more people have been scared into action," she said.
"This is the first year that they are recommending two shots in the season.
Due to the high demand, the pharmacy no longer takes bookings and stocks were running low on Tuesday but more are expected this week.
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