Healthy Habits: Flu Vaccine

 This year, the Southern Hemisphere influenza season arrived early in 2022, with Australia’s confirmed flu cases hitting an all-time high in May, more than double the month’s previous record set in 2019.1  

While a decrease in influenza-like illness has been noted since July 2022, Australia’s influenza cases may be an early warning sign for the U.S. as Southern Hemisphere influenza surveillance has historically been a strong predictor of influenza activity for the Northern Hemisphere flu season.  

Notably, Australia’s flu season runs from May through September, providing a sense of what is possible for the U.S. season. In addition, Australia has also seen a profound impact on teenagers and younger populations who have had lower vaccination rates. 60% of flu hospitalizations have been children under 16, with adults over 65 only making up 18.5% of hospital admissions, which is not the norm.2

By now, many of us know that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all eligible individuals six months and older receive an annual influenza vaccine as the best way to prevent seasonal influenza and its potentially serious complications, such as hospitalizations and deaths. 3 

Despite the many potential benefits, only about half of Americans get an annual flu vaccine, and in fact, during the 2021/22 season, we saw a significant drop in influenza vaccinations compared to record vaccinations the year before. 4,5

As we approach the 2022/23 flu season, getting the word out is more important than ever for several reasons:

• Flu vaccination and COVID-19 booster programs are expected to overlap this fall and it is critical that we do everything we can to ensure that people do not neglect getting vaccinated against influenza.

• According to the CDC, eligible patients can receive both COVID-19 and flu vaccines at the same time. 6

In this interview, Dr. Gregg Sylvester, CSL Seqirus Chief Health Officer, will be available to discuss these trends and the importance of flu vaccination for all eligible individuals, including children six months and older.

Interview is courtesy of CSL Seqirus.

1 The Department of Health and Aged Care (2022). Australian Influenza Surveillance Report and Activity Updates. Retrieved from: https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-surveil-ozflu-flucurr.htm. Accessed August 2022

2 The Department of Health and Aged Care (2022). Australian Influenza Surveillance Report No. 09, 2022. Reporting fortnight: 18 July to 31 July 2022. Retrieved from: https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/FFE657AEE628A4F1CA2588950019A968/$File/flu-09-2022.pdf. Accessed August 2022.

3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022). Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/keyfacts.htm. Accessed August 2022.

4 CDC (2021). What are the benefits of flu vaccination? Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccine-benefits.htm. Accessed August 2022.

5 CDC (2022). Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/fluvaxview/dashboard/vaccination-dashboard.html. Accessed August 2022.

6 CDC (2022). Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2021-2022 Season. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2021-2022.htm. Accessed August 2022.