This flu season Australians can access quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIVs), for protection against four most common seasonal influenza viruses.
This year, people in Australia will have access to vaccines which cover the four most common seasonal flu viruses.
The general public will have the opportunity to access FluQuadri (TM)/FluQuadri (TM) Junior (inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine) on private prescription this flu season, which typically runs from May to October, after the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) gave the vaccine the green light in December 2014. FluQuadri (TM) Junior and FluQuadri (TM) offer protection against the flu from 6 months of age onwards.
“The availability of quadrivalent influenza vaccines (QIVs) provide us with another option in safeguarding against the flu,” said Sydney based GP Dr Ginni Mansberg.
“Flu can be incredibly unpleasant, disruptive to the work and home life of individuals and costly for the healthcare system. It can also be dangerous and in the worst case scenario, deadly.”
It is estimated that every year, flu causes an average of over 18,000 hospitalisations and between 1,500 and 3,500 deaths in Australia from complications such as pneumonia and secondary bacterial infections.
“Flu season is one of the key times we see people develop more serious respiratory illnesses and pneumonia, which can arise as complications of flu,” explained Professor John Upham, Princess Alexandra Hospital Respiratory Physician and Researcher for University of Queensland Lung and Allergy Research Centre.
“Generally, there is a greater chance for at risk groups but healthy people can also develop complications of flu, making vaccination important for all,” he said.
Flu is a living virus that changes and mutates. This means every flu season is different in terms of what ‘strains’ are in circulation and affect people the most. Whilst the government funds trivalent influenza vaccines (TIVs) to certain groups, QIVs, like FluQuadri (TM) and FluQuadri (TM) Junior, are available on private prescription for those wishing to get protected against four seasonal influenza viruses.
“It is important to get your flu shot early, to allow about two weeks for antibodies to develop. Flu viruses change all the time, so the vaccine from last year may not cover the strains of virus circulating this year,” said Dr Mansberg.