Will you be ready for flu season in 2022?
Don't let the virus catch you off guard. Talk to your GP or pharmacist about flu vaccines and how you can protect yourself against the flu.
Flu is caused by the influenza virus.
Previous infection or vaccination is no guarantee of protection against it – the flu virus is changing all the time and there are different strains.
How serious is flu?
While most people have relatively mild flu symptoms, flu is a potentially serious disease that can lead to hospitalisation and sometimes even death.
It can cause bronchitis, croup, pneumonia, ear infections, heart and other organ damage, brain inflammation and brain damage.
An estimated 163,000 flu cases were detected in Australia each year between 2015 and 2020.1
An estimated 1,500,000 work days are lost to flu and its associated complications each year.2
How can you recognise the flu
Flu symptoms include a runny nose or sneezing, cough or sore throat, fever and chills, headache, body aches, vomiting and diarrhoea (which is more common in children).
Most flu symptoms last up to a week but coughing can continue for up to two weeks or more
Flu is not the same as a common cold – flu symptoms tend to be more intense.
It is very difficult to distinguish between the symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and a cold. If you have any infectious or respiratory symptoms self-isolate yourself, follow your state or territory guidelines about COVID-19 testing and contact your healthcare professional for further advice.