Tasmanians are being urged not to be complacent about getting their flu vaccination, with rates of influenza in the community up almost 60 per cent compared to the same time last year.
While infection rates surge, vaccine uptake is on a downward trend ahead of this year’s flu season, with just under 217,000 Tasmanians receiving a flu shot in 2024 – the lowest vaccination rate in five years.
Nationally, the worst March quarter for flu cases has been reported, with more than 50,000 laboratory-confirmed influenza cases across Australia. This eclipses last year’s record high for January to March 2024 by more than 50 per cent.
With Tasmanian flu numbers typically following three to four weeks behind the mainland, not-for-profit St Lukes says it’s important to stay ahead of the wave. St Lukes is partnering with the Pharmacy Guild to provide free flu shots to more than 67,000 members with Extras cover in Tasmania.
The St Lukes free flu vaccinations are available now at participating pharmacies.
Ben Marshall
April 13, 2025 at 19:14
Raina McIntyre’s new book, Vaccine Nation, highlights many terrifying reasons why vax rates are down, and it’s largely to do with sustained far Right disinformation campaign from multiple sources.
Immunisation from vaccines is a genuine and stunning success of medical science, and it has saved tens of millions of lives just with Covid alone – never mind the hundreds of millions of people saved from death or severe illness from other diseases.
We are being told to not only turn our back on science but to condemn it as a giant conspiracy, and this is surely a factor playing out here.
Geoffrey Swan
April 13, 2025 at 21:52
Ben, I note you have an upcoming review article on Raina McIntyre’s new book, Vaccine Nation.
It sounds like essential reading.
Michael Stasse
April 18, 2025 at 08:37
2½ years ago I ditched all plant food. Since then, I haven’t so much as had a cold. My wife got Covid twice, but I never did.
Eating anything that has carbohydrates in it produces insulin resistance and chronic inflammation which wrecks your immune system. Worse, it even causes autoimmune issues where your body attacks itself.
At 73 years I feel invincible these days. I should have done this decades ago!
Ben Marshall
April 18, 2025 at 10:20
Mike, while I’m sure we all share your joy in your carb-free good health, for many of us it has nothing to do with the need for immunisation via vaccines.
While a common trope in anti-vax disinformation is that merely eating well will fend off serious illness from viruses or bacteria, there is no actual scientific evidence to back that, and a hundred years of extensive global data supporting the reality that hundreds of millions of people have been saved from severe illness or death through using vaccines.
Please also remember that while you are happy, fit and healthy, many in our community are not, and protecting them, and our families, friends and work colleagues by getting ourselves vaccinated is an act of care for them all.
In short, please don’t share vaccine disinformation that might increase the already soaring ‘vaccines hesitancy’ phenomenon and thereby increase the morbidity and mortality of our annual flu season.