Flu season is right around the corner! Health officials are encouraging parents and pregnant women to get vaccinated this fall to protect their children against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Dr. Britton, a prominent health expert, highlights the critical need for vaccination, particularly in young children who are at increased risk of serious complications. Flu vaccine protects against different strains every year, so get vaccinated each fall, beginning next April (in 2023). This ensures that you’re protected before peak flu season — typically June to September — starts.
Britton noted that a lot of parents seem to be scared to have their kids vaccinated. He thinks this is a result of a combination of factors, including vaccine fatigue born out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Simultaneously, everyone is a little bit complacent about influenza. “I think parents and even some doctors have fallen into the trap of thinking flu comes every year, people get it, and they don’t get that sick,” Dr. Britton stated. He underscored the extremely serious impact that can come from not getting a flu vaccine.
Current Vaccination Rates
Recent data show that rates for any vaccination—including the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine—are alarmingly low in young children. To date, only 15.9% of children between the ages of six months and five years have received their immunizations so far this year. These young children are at particular risk for severe flu complications. So much so that vaccination coverage in this age group has plummeted. Today that figure is less than half of what it was five years ago. Among Australians 65 years and over, that figure was above 50% in 2025.
The ACT government have really led on this – they have reacted to these shocking numbers. They’ve scheduled a tour of free pop-up clinics specifically for children six months to less than five, encouraging parents to make use of this fantastic opportunity. Dr. Britton expressed concern over the implications of low vaccination rates, stating, “We’ve already had a small number of children with very severe influenza in intensive care, and we’re expecting now … that those cases are going to become more frequent.”
According to the CDC’s most recent FluView report, we’ve already seen more than 109,000 reported influenza illnesses this season. In fact, over half of these cases are on children under the age of 10 years old. Annually, seasonal influenza contributes to an average of 3,500 deaths and about 18,000 hospitalizations in Australia.
Addressing Vaccine Fatigue
The continuing tide of vaccine fatigue should give health authorities even more cause for concern. Further, Dr. McMullen identified a most alarming trend—fewer COVID-19 boosters are being administered to senior citizens. Boosters are even less common among those aged 75 and older, with only 26.2% boosted in the last six months. This decrease is particularly worrying given low levels of immunity among susceptible populations.
Health professionals have been united in the message that getting vaccinated is essential to preventing severe illness. Creatively, they make the case for simple preventive measures—like wearing masks and practicing hand hygiene. “Vaccinations are obviously the backbone of prevention … but it’s those simple things that reduce the risk of getting infected,” an unnamed expert remarked.
While health officials see challenges, they remain optimistic. Through raising awareness and educating people on vaccine access, they are confident that vaccination rates will increase among all demographics. The federal government is kicking off a new national immunization initiative. This plan has a particular focus on addressing childhood vaccination rates which have fallen across the board including among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, where declines have been observed across all age groups.
The Importance of Timely Vaccination
Dr. Britton’s call to action is a reminder of just how urgent it is to get vaccinated, as flu season looms. He emphasized the effectiveness of the flu vaccine, stating, “The flu vaccine isn’t a perfect vaccine, but it really does work, and it’s our best tool to protect people from severe flu.” To that end, Chitnis noted that this year is historic in the introduction of prevention measures for RSV. These worthwhile new measures provide that added layer of protection for young children.
The need for vaccination goes beyond influenza, with new strains of COVID-19 still circulating in our communities. As Dr. McMullen cautioned, these more contagious strains lead to higher rates of hospitalization. He argued for the importance of frequent boosters to keep protecting people from severe disease.
