“While we don’t have a vaccination for COVID-19 yet, thankfully there is one for influenza. Getting vaccinated helps not only protect yourself and your family, but also the most vulnerable in our community, including those living in Aged Care homes. Any step we can take to minimise risk to our residents is our priority,” MercyCare Chief Executive Officer Anthony Smith said.
“The uptake by MercyCare staff has already been tremendous. I had my flu shot done earlier this month along with many of my colleagues.”
WA Premier Mark McGowan has stated more vaccinations are currently on their way to the state to ease any supply issues.
Last winter WA had its worst flu season in years with the number of diagnosed cases increasing fourfold year-on-year to 24,000 and hospital admission trebling to 3300.
Last year 800,000 West Australians were vaccinated against the flu.
Western Australians eligible for free flu vaccinations include those over 65 years old; children aged 6 months to five years; all primary school aged students; pregnant women; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 6 months and over; and people aged six months and over with medical conditions that mean they have a higher risk of flu complications (e.g. those with diabetes, severe asthma, lung or heart disease).
