Flu vax more important than ever

By Suzanne Greenwood, Executive Director

The flu season is now upon us and with COVID-19 still an ever-present threat, the need to be vaccinated against the flu is more important than ever. Quite simply, staying healthy is one of the ways to help protect yourself against COVID-19, as a person weakened by the flu is more susceptible to other diseases.

For many of us, however, the importance of the flu shot has been somewhat lost in the understandable interest of when and where we can get our COVID-19 vaccination. The latest data from the Australian Immunisation Register is concerning and shows doses of the flu vax administered so far this season total 654,565 doses, compared with 2,339,287 for the same time last year.

Disturbingly, I have heard of people putting off getting their flu shot until they can book in for their COVID-19 vaccination. This doesn’t make sense as the flu season is already upon us. I urge everyone to go out now and get their flu shot at their local community pharmacy. Don’t delay.

Medical advice also recommends having your influenza vaccine as soon as possible. The peak body in Australia for immunisation is ATAGI – the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. On 3 March, ATAGI published their advice on seasonal influenza vaccines for 2021, which states:

• People in phase 1a for COVID-19 vaccination should receive the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them, and then receive their influenza vaccine;
• People in later phases for COVID-19 vaccination should receive their influenza vaccine as soon as it is available, and then receive their COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available to them.

The majority of Australians who are not currently eligible for their COVID-19 vaccination until Phase 2 should now get their flu vaccination.

This becomes our key message to all our patients: While you are waiting to get your COVID-19 vaccination, come into your local pharmacy and get your flu shot.

The popularity of community pharmacies as vaccination centres is growing

This message to get the flu shot last year was reinforced in a letter to health sector leaders from the then acting Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth, Professor Paul Kelly, who has now been confirmed in the role.

“A record number of seasonal influenza vaccines were made available for the Australian market in 2020, with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) releasing over 17.6 million doses. This is up from 13.2 million doses in 2019 and 11 million doses in 2018,” Professor Kelly wrote.

This year community pharmacies are again trained and ready to support their patients. It is recommended that those of us who are in Phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out receive our flu vax now and our covax, once that comes on-line later in the year.

The pandemic has put health and immunity at the top of mind for us all, but paradoxically it seems to be deterring some people getting a flu shot until there is more clarity over the COVID-19 vaccination roll-out.

Uptake of the flu vax compared to this time in previous years is down

Anecdotally, we are seeing social media and hearing feedback that patients don’t think they need to get a flu shot this year, but each vaccine is very specific and cannot be substituted for the other.

This lack of consumer engagement of the need for the flu shot is in stark contrast to the effectiveness of the flu vaccine itself. Last year, people were concerned about their wellness, practicing good hand hygiene and social distancing but with no COVID-19 vaccine available, people still got their flu vaccine, and it kept the incidence of influenza down. The Immunisation Coalition monitors flu cases and reports there were 21,356 laboratory-confirmed notifications of the flu in Australia for 2020, compared with 313,061 laboratory-confirmed notifications for 2019. We won the war against flu in 2020, but has that created some apathy in 2021?

I encourage you to pop into your local community pharmacy and have your flu shot. Better yet – please tell your family and friends that you have and encourage them to stay safe also. Pharmacies are open extended hours (including some 24 hours operations), at weekends and are conveniently located. In fact, 97 per cent of people in capital cities live within 2.5km of a pharmacy, and this rate is 66 per cent for the rest of the country. It could not be easier to walk in for a flu shot today.

Community pharmacies across the country now have infrastructure and trained staff to deliver vaccinations so there is no reason to hold back.

The Guild also has introduced Guild Corporate Health for companies and organisations wanting to ensure their staff are protected against the flu by offering a flexible, easy flu vaccination service over an extended time to ensure maximum coverage and protection.

This takes all the pressure off the company or organisation and maximises the number of employees vaccinated by providing choice for employees to access their vaccination at a local community pharmacy. It captures the innovations, lessons and successes of past health programs delivered by the Guild, and leverages the IT, project management and health service delivery capabilities of one of Australia’s most successful and strongly supported aspects of our health system – community pharmacy. More details can be found at Guild Corporate Health.

Most of us will not be eligible for our COVID vaccination for some months yet, so while you’re waiting for your COVID-19 shot, drop into your local community pharmacy and ask them for your annual flu shot now.

Pharmacies wanting to participate in the program can get more details here.

In addition, Guild Learning and Development has partnered with Seqirus (A CSL Company) in the development of a new online course titled Influenza vaccine: now and future advances.’ The course focuses on increasing pharmacist confidence in both recommending and providing advice on the influenza vaccine, including the different types of vaccines and why they are recommended for different populations.  For further details contact Guild Learning and Development on 1800 049 056 or email learninganddevelopment@guild.org.au for more information.