School holidays set to supercharge spread of flu as WA cases hit over 10,000
The Minister of Health this year’s flu season as the worst of the decade, and experts, school holidays will only spread to spread to the super -charging, as a child’s death was recorded because of extremely infectious influenza.
WA health figures show that there are 10,428 influenza infections so far this year, and last year is also more than twice the 4641 cases.
In June, in 2024, there was a 2948 flu cases in the same month compared to 1455.
The flu has killed five people so far this year – less last year.
Two of these deaths reported that the Ministry of Health is between 0 and 4 years of age between 8 June and 22 June, and the other is an adult between the ages of 85 to 89.
1692 people were taken to hospital as of 22 June – more than 800 hospitals in the same time last year.
Woricing figures may occur after claiming that the high rate of ambulance ramp of Health Minister Meredith Hammat was caused by the worst flu season in a decade.
Ms. Hammat pointed out her finger for the number of ambulances in WA hospitals in May and June on Tuesday.
Ambulance teams, in May to transfer patients other than WA hospitals spent 5336 hours, the highest record for that month.
In June, the ambulances were ramps for a total of 5573 hours, the long period of medical staff hit the highest monthly record outside of regional hospitals at 259 hours.
Hammat, “There is a variation for months, you have referred to May figures, but in 10 years we are dealing with the worst flu season,” he said.
“Context is important – the context of aging and growing population, the context of the worst flu season in 10 years. These are all factors that have an impact.”
Jaya Dantas, International Health Professor of Curtin University, said that he expects influenza cases to increase with public school holidays since the end of this week.
“July and August are our winter months, so it cools, gets wet and has school holidays – all of them lead to an increase in infections,” he said.
“If there is the next increase in emergency service presentations, it is worrying because it actually means that it may have an impact on our health system.”
Australian Medical Association WA President Kyle Hoath said that the state is in the midst of the “Horror Flu season”.
“The flu season is probably three or four weeks ahead of this time last year, but we don’t see it ending earlier,” he said.
“It is always difficult to predict with the flu, but we will be in the winter of the winter, the possibility, cases continue to rise and fear.
“Emergency Services will pass the roof for hours and our critical care clinics and the GPS for the next six to eight weeks.”
A WA health spokesman called on the community to ensure that their vaccines are up to date during the upcoming school holidays to help prevent serious respiratory disease.
“Influenza, RSV and COVID-19’s notifications of the winter season was an expected increase in the notifications,” he said.
