In response to what is said to be the country’s WORST flu season on record, Commonwealth experts has been brought forward to consider a new ‘sniff’ vaccine to protect Australians from the sometimes-lethal illness.
As reported by 9 News, these experts are pushing to give children under the age of five free vaccines as part of the revisited National Immunisation Scheme.
If this is passed, children will need to have their flu vaccinations before being admitted to daycare, as well as to be eligible for family tax and childcare benefits.
This push comes as expert believe children are super-spreaders of disease, leaving their elderly grandparents at risk of falling seriously ill.
Maddy was on holiday with her long-term boyfriend when she started to show standard symptoms of the flu. Source: Facebook, Maddy Jones
Not only that, but according to The Courier-Mail and News Corp, flu experts are urging the Federal Government to use higher-strength, more expensive flu vaccinations to better protect Australians.
This comes as more than 200,000 cases of the flu have been identified in laboratories across the country this year – double what was reported in 2015.
A new study in infectious diseases journal “Eurosurveillance” also zeroed in on this effectiveness of this year’s flu jab, nothing that it was just 10 per cent effective against strain A (H3) vaccine, 50 per cent effective of A (H1) and 57 per cent against influenza B.
The flu has had a devastating impact on Australia in 2017. Just two weeks ago, Now To Love reported that this year’s deadly virus claimed the life of 19-year-old Queensland teenager Maddy Jones.
Five days after her initial flu symptoms, Maddy was admitted to hospital where she fell into a coma and never woke up. The flu was to blame.
If you, or someone you know, is showing flu-like symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
