The Malinauskas Labor Government is making it easier for parents to access the free flu vaccination for their young children, as soaring flu cases impact the community and health system.
From Monday, parents will be able to take their children aged 6 months to 5 years to pharmacies to get their free flu shot, at no cost to parents, with the government providing pharmacists with the free child-specific influenza vaccine and also covering any service fees.
Previously, children under 5 had to go to their GP or local council clinic to get their free flu shot.
Children under 5 are one of the groups most at risk of flu complications, and currently only one in five is vaccinated, leaving many vulnerable as cases climb across the state.
In new figures released today, there have been 10,569 flu cases reported so far this year – 70 per cent more cases than the 6,212 at the same time last year.
In the past week alone we've seen a sharp rise, with 1,627 new cases reported, a 28 per cent increase on the 1,268 new cases reported the week prior and a 77 per cent increase compared to two weeks ago (918 weekly cases).
We have currently reached almost the equal highest numbers of weekly cases of any year in the past five years (the highest number was 1653 in August 2024).
So far this year, 1,042 South Australians have been hospitalised with flu, compared to 673 at the same time last year, a 55 per cent increase.
In children under 5 there have been 1,252 flu cases, with 148 hospitalised.
At the same time last year there were 796 flu cases in under 5s, with 79 hospitalised.
We know that babies and young children have a higher risk of developing complications from the flu and are more likely to need to see a doctor, be hospitalised, miss childcare or kindy, or have their parent/carer miss work. We see this every year in South Australia over the winter period.
Flu symptoms include a rapid onset of fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, sneezing, runny nose, sore throat, cough, and nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in children. Symptoms can be prolonged and post flu cough and fatigue are common. Common complications of flu in young children include middle ear infections, pneumonia and croup.
With community pharmacies already providing the free vaccine to all other age groups, the new program has been designed to offer parents additional, convenient and well distributed options across both regional and metropolitan areas.
The flu vaccine is free for all at-risk groups through the National Immunisation Program (NIP), including children under 5, people over 65, pregnant women, Aboriginal people and those with underlying health conditions.
South Australia has the highest mainland state uptake of the flu vaccine at 32.1 per cent. 21.6 per cent of under five-year-olds have so far been vaccinated.
South Australians intending to vaccinate their young children under the new service are encouraged to call their local pharmacy or check online to locate a participating site and book in.
Flu cases in the community are also putting pressure on workforce availability in hospitals, GP practices, ambulances and aged care.
As well as expanding vaccination programs, the Malinauskas Labor Government is building a bigger health system, including 600 extra beds and adding thousands more doctors, nurses, ambos and allied health workers to create more capacity amid growing pressure.
There are currently 245 elderly patients ready for discharge stuck in metro hospitals awaiting a Federal Government aged care bed.
Ambulance spent 5,382 hours on the ramp in June, 157 fewer hours than the winter peak in July last year.
In June, ambulances reached 67.2 per cent of Priority 1 cases in the target timeframe of 8 minutes, compared to only 47.1 per cent in January 2022.
Ambulances reached 51.5 per cent of Priority 2 cases in the target 16-minute timeframe in June, compared to only 36.2 per cent in January 2022. This is equivalent to 1,679 more Priority 2 callouts being seen on time.
The system continues to lose new capacity created by State Government investment to aged care patients stuck in hospitals awaiting a Federal Government aged care bed.
While our metropolitan hospitals are managing an average of 150 more overnight patients a day compared to the same time last year, a 61 per cent increase in aged care patients in the same 12 months has meant that 93 of those beds have been filled by patients who are ready for discharge into aged care facilities.
The Malinauskas Government will add an additional 180 beds across the system between now and March, including 110 new mental health beds at the Queen Elizabeth, Noarlunga, Flinders, Modbury and Mount Gambier hospitals.
Full ramping data – including a hospital-by-hospital breakdown – can be found here.
More information on flu vaccines for children under five can be found here.
As put by Chris Picton
We're making it easier for parents to protect their young children from flu, as cases soar across the state.
From Monday, busy parents will have another option – the pharmacy – to get access to the free flu vaccination for their kids under 5 at no cost to them.
The flu can be particularly serious for young kids, resulting in hospitalisations. Already this year nearly 150 kids have ended up in hospital with the flu.
Programs like this are one of the many ways we are providing more healthcare options to the community, as we build a bigger health system with 600 more beds and thousands more doctors, nurses, ambos and allied health workers.
South Australia has the highest uptake of the flu vaccine of any mainland state, with about a third of the population vaccinated, but we still need more people to get vaccinated, especially young kids.
As put by Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier
Our South Australian GPs do a fantastic job supporting parents to access critical childhood vaccinations against many serious infections and they are the backbone of our immunisation system, making sure all SA kids are up-to-date.
However, being a parent can be hectic with many competing priorities, so fitting in additional flu vaccination appointments each year whilst balancing family life can be a challenge. Increased access to free flu vaccinations over the winter period through local community pharmacies gives parents greater choice to find a time convenient to them.
Flu is a very serious infection for young babies and children under the age of five and a significant number require hospitalisation for associated bronchiolitis and pneumonia. Tragically flu can also be fatal even in children previously healthy. Our little ones deserve to be given the extra protection through vaccination. This new initiative makes this easier.
