Aussies urged to get swine flu jab

In a bid to stop another wave of the pandemic, an advertising campaign is warning Australians to prepare themselves for the flu season, which has already infected 50 persons in the country this year.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon stated, "To help people understand the risks swine flu poses to the community and the need for all people to get vaccinated the Australian government is launching the Facts about Swine Flu campaign."

The ‘Facts about Swine Flu campaign’ will run in print and on radio until the end of May. The aim is to educate the people about the risks of the H1N1 virus and encourage parents to immunize their children with the free Panvax vaccine.

Health minister urges immunization to ease pressure
Highlighting how unpredictable swine flu is, the health minister stated vaccination was the safest way to stem the risk of possible complications, cut the spread of the virus and gain protection against future waves of infection.

Although, swine flu in general has been a mild disease for most, it is difficult to predict on an individual basis who will be severely affected.

Raxon is urging the public to get inoculated since the disease is preventable.

She is appealing citizens, especially those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women, the chronically ill, elderly and Indigenous Australians, to get the swine flu vaccine.

The warning comes in the wake of an alert from prominent virologists last week about the resistance of the swine flu to popular antiviral Tamiflu (oseltamivir).

The experts warned that the virus may cause a surge in infections across the country this winter with fears that mutated versions resistant to the antiviral could also be circulating.

Roxan stated, "Having people vaccinated now, before the flu season starts, will allow us to have an orderly vaccination program and avoid undue pressure on vaccination providers that could happen if people delay their vaccination until winter or until they see a rise in cases."

The ‘Facts about Swine Flu campaign’ will run in print and on radio until the end of May. The aim is to educate the people about the risks of the H1N1 virus and encourage parents to immunize their children with the free Panvax vaccine.

Free vaccine available
The free PanvaxH1N1 vaccine is available for all Australians aged six months and older during the 2010 flu season.

The Federal Government spent $120 million last year on 21 million doses of Panvax. To date nearly seven million doses have been distributed including 240,000 pre-filled syringes to infants.

Roxan stated, "It (the vaccine) has quite a long shelf life, it can be provided all through this flu season and still be effective.”

H1N1 update in Australia in 2009
Furnishing details about the impact of swine flu in the previous year, the health minister stated that the total number of confirmed infections were 37, 636 ,which included 191 related deaths.

The average age of those who succumbed to the virus was 53 years as opposed to 83 years for seasonal influenza.

Additionally there were 5,003 hospitalizations and 682 intensive care unit admissions in Australia linked to swine flu.

Roxon said, "Armed with these facts about what happened in Australia last year I am urging people, particularly parents, to get the swine flu vaccine for themselves and their families now.

"[It is an] easy way to protect yourself, but more importantly to protect the rest of the community because it stops it being spread as easily as it did last year.”