Flu shot uptake falls to lowest level in years, despite surging flu cases

heading into winter is at its lowest level in years, with top doctors pointing the finger at increasing barriers toThat is a 10 per cent drop compared to the same time last year, according to Australian Immunisation Register records.Uptake of the annual flu shot is at historically low levels, in data that health authorities have labelled "a big concern".

Even among those most vulnerable to life-threatening complications - those aged over 65 - only half have so far been vaccinated. "There's no doubt that influenza is seen as taking a backseat to COVID, and I understand that, but influenza still is a very serious disease," Robson said. The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 's Vice President attributes part of the drop to a fall in people accessing their General Practitioner.While 1.38 million Australians got a flu shot at their pharmacy this year - up five per cent from last year - the number who went to their GP for the jab plummeted from four million to 3.41 million. 

"We've got to acknowledge that if the state governments were truly invested in this and then they would copy what WA and Queensland did," Clements said.

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