Dire warning an unstoppable contagion is about to take off in Queensland in the next 24 hours - the one thing you can do to stay safe
- Authorities are pleading for people to vaccinate
- It is believed schools and daycare centres could be 'ground zero'
- READ MORE: Four-year-old dies from common illness as cases skyrocket
Health authorities have raised concerns about influenza rates in Queensland kids warning an unstoppable contagion could spread when school returns on Monday.
Around 20 children are being admitted to hospital every day in the Sunshine State as influenza cases skyrocket.
Queensland chief health officer Dr John Gerrard fears the rates will increase when school students return to the classroom on Monday.
He warned as many as 50 children could be admitted to hospitals every day over the next two to three weeks, the Courier Mail reported.
The figure is even more alarming as flu season is not expected to peak until mid-August.
Dr Gerrard said schools and daycare centres would most probably be 'ground zero' for the highly contagious virus because there are already thousands of unvaccinated Queenslanders with flu symptoms.
The chief health officer said these Queenslanders are already bombarding busy emergency departments across the state.
Dr Gerrard is urging parents to vaccinate their family to curb the knock on effect of the virus that can spread quickly throughout a home and onto older and more vulnerable relatives.
'We can halt that momentum if people get their free flu vaccine now. It is not too late to get vaccinated,' he said.
Health authorities have raised concerns about influenza rates in Queensland kids warning an unstoppable contagion could spread when school returns on Monday (stock image)
The chief health officer said there's 'no excuse' to not be immunised as Queensland is the only state where the vaccine is free for people over six months old, and it's easily accessed not just at GPs but at pharmacies as well.
Despite this, less than one-quarter of Queensland children have had the flu vaccine.
'There are two distinct influenza A strains spreading rapidly in the community at present. Both strains are covered by available vaccines,' Dr Gerrard said.
Children have the highest amount of flu cases in Queensland and locations like Gold Coast, Brisbane, Darling Downs, Ipswich and Central Queensland are current hot spots of a flu outbreak.
There were 24,256 cases of influenza in Queensland from January to the end of June, with 10 per cent admitted to hospital.
In the last week of June alone, there were a whopping 2,666 cases.
The flu isn't the only concern for Queenslanders this winter as Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are still present, creating a triple threat to the sunshine state.
The flu isn't the only concern for Queenslanders this winter as Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are still present, creating a triple threat to the sunshine state (stock image)
Although influenza has the highest infection rate, cases for RSV has doubled from the same time last year, and most patients hospitalised are under two years of age.
Covid is continuing to mutate and will keep hitting the community in waves, Dr Gerrard said.
And with the low uptake of flu vaccinations in the state, infectious disease expert Paul Griffin said Aussies have forgotten how dangerous the virus can be.
'It can kill. And we have seen that it not only kills people who are highly vulnerable, it has taken the lives of the healthy too,' he said.
