Kinkini Gupta
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Written By: Kinkini Gupta | Updated : May 30, 2022 11:58 AM IST
Free Flu Vaccines Made Available Till June 30
COVID-19 cases in Australia have taken a sharp rise since mid-December 2021 till present. The recently updated number of cases is 72.2L and the number of deaths reported is 8,460. The average age of all COVID cases is about 31 years and the average age of deaths is about 83 years.
Recently, Peter Malinauskas, Premier of the state of South Australia made an announcement that flu vaccines will be made freely available for all the people till June 30th. He also announced that it is necessary for the state to ensure the vaccination of as many people of South Australia against both COVID-19 and influenza.
Malinauskas stated that this action would help relieve the pressure on the hospitals of South Australia during this sudden COVID-19 spike. Xinhua news agency has reported that flu vaccines were previously made free by the state only for pensioners, children and immunocompromised people. The spread of influenza and COVID-19 simultaneously is putting extra strain on the hospital systems in the country. As a result, they are facing very high demand.
Until May 8, there had been 10,599 confirmed influenza cases in Australia compared to fewer than 1,000 in 2021 amid coronavirus restrictions and border closures. The vice president of the Australian Medical Association, Chris Moy, welcomed the decision of the state to make the flu vaccines free.
According to reports by the local media of Australia, he said, "It's an important move, not only to increase access to people who could not previously have been eligible or afforded it, but also as an important signal to all South Australians to get a flu shot as overflowing hospitals face their first true flu season in three years."
