There’s a rising health warning for communities in Cape York, Torres Strait, and the Northern Peninsula Area: take proactive steps to shield yourself and your kids from a range of respiratory infections. But here’s where it gets important: flu activity this year is higher than the same period last year, and multiple illnesses are circulating at once.
Public Health Medical Officer Dr Helen Pedgrift from the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service notes that influenza, RSV, COVID-19, and other respiratory diseases are all in circulation. She also mentioned that some communities, including Weipa on the Western Cape, are seeing noticeable spikes in flu cases.
So far this year, flu case numbers sit at 90 within the health service, versus 15 for the same timeframe last year, indicating a clear uptick.
Dr Pedgrift stresses that good hygiene remains a cornerstone of preventing respiratory infections throughout the year. Practical steps include regular hand washing, using sanitiser, properly covering coughs, disposing of tissues promptly, and avoiding close contact with others when you’re sick, or when others are contagious.
If you catch the flu, the recommended course is to stay home from work or school, rest, and drink plenty of fluids until symptoms pass. This usually takes about five to seven days. Watch for warning signs: fast or difficult breathing, chest pains, drowsiness, or a sense that you’re getting worse. If these occur, see your doctor or a clinic promptly—you may be eligible for antiviral treatment, which works best when started early, typically within the first couple of days of symptoms, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
Flu and COVID-19 can be serious, particularly for high‑risk groups such as young children, older adults, pregnant people, and those with certain preexisting conditions. RSV also affects people of all ages but poses the greatest risk to infants and young children, who can develop more serious illness.
Common symptoms to watch for include runny nose, cough, fever, sore throat, and headaches. In babies and toddlers, additional signs can be irritability, fatigue, refusal to feed, weight loss, and laboured or rapid breathing.
Vaccination remains the strongest protection against many respiratory infections. The new seasonal influenza vaccine will roll out progressively from 1 March, and it’s essential that you and your family get immunised for optimal protection. The flu vaccine is free for all Queensland residents this year, and a needle-free nasal spray option for children aged two to five years will also be available.
Young people have a pivotal role in reducing transmission because they’re often key spreaders of infections. Annual vaccination is necessary because flu strains change year to year, and immunity from last year’s vaccine may not cover circulating strains this season.
When the new flu vaccine becomes available, you can access it through general practitioners, local pharmacies, and all primary health centers in the Torres Strait, Cape York, and Northern Peninsula Area. Vaccination will also be offered at clinics at Thursday Island and Bamaga hospitals, the Weipa Integrated Health Service, and the Cooktown Multipurpose Health Service.
Dr Pedgrift also urges everyone to keep their COVID-19 booster up to date, noting that boosters are readily available across the health service.
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