Australia has had the worst flu record in May, with experts warning that this season will redefine what it means to be prepared for the virus.
The national disease surveillance system reported about 65,770 confirmed flu cases in May, more than double the previous month’s record set in 2019.
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Dr Jonathan Anderson, an executive at Seqirus Pharmaceuticals, said other countries would look to Australia to see how it coped with the rise. “It’s clear that the rest of the world will be watching our flu season closely and learning from our successes or failures.”
As of June 5, the national surveillance system had received nearly 88,000 reports of influenza cases this year, more than 47,800 of them diagnosed in the previous fortnight.
The system has received 27 flu-related deaths during the year to date, and more than 730 people have been admitted to hospital due to the flu since April. Of these hospital admissions, about 6% went directly to intensive care. -In April, weekly confirmed cases were above the five-year average. Dr Anderson said it was important for Australia to focus on innovative technology to help protect people from the flu in the future. Along with existing vaccines, experts were looking for new ones as a second generation. of current mRNA and cell-based vaccines. Dr Felicia Pradera, manager of the Defense Materials Technology Center research organization, said Australia should take lessons from COVID-19 to make sure it responds well to the flu. He suggested that real-time data could be shared. improved, along with the exchange of research and investment in platforms that could target specific pathogens.
“We also have greater potential to implement and leverage public-private partnerships, similar to Operation Warp Speed in the US, to ensure we can address Australia’s key health priorities,” Dr Pradera told the forum BioMelbourne Network.