Updated April 07, 2020 17:40:24

Photo: Pharmacists have reported a huge demand for in-store flu vaccinations since it was released last month. (Supplied)

Pharmacists have reported vast numbers of people getting their flu shots early this season after the Federal Government urged the public to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

At Terry White pharmacies around Australia, staff have vaccinated more people in the past three weeks than they did throughout the entire flu season last year.

The rise in demand is similar at Michael's Chemist stores in Perth, where staff have already vaccinated four times as many people per day than they did during the peak of last year's busy flu season.

Owner Michael Spartalis said 70 people had already received the jab across his three stores in just one day.

"[It is] quite incredible compared to last year, when we didn't have COVID-19," Mr Spartalis said.

Online bookings at Amcal and Guardian pharmacies, owned by Sigma Healthcare, were also 400 per cent higher this March compared to last year.

But Sigma Healthcare pharmacist Brinley Hosking said the current demand was still lower than during the peak of 2019's horror flu season.

Photo: Influenza vaccinations have been snapped up by the public at pharmacies much earler this year. (File image) (ABC Central West: Donal Sheil )

"It's probably about 25 per cent of the volume that we would see at the peak, which for us last year was in May," Ms Hosking said.

"In May 2019, we took about 10,000 bookings through Amcal and Guardian."

Flu jabs essential to take pressure off hospitals

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia said the increased demand for flu shots was due both to COVID-19 health crisis but also the severity of last year's flu season.

The guild's communications director, Greg Turnbull, said the coronavirus pandemic meant more people were paying attention to their health and realising the value of being vaccinated against the common flu.

Australia experienced its worst flu season on record last year as more than 310,000 people presented at hospitals and health services around the country.

Last year 13 million influenza vaccinations were administered, but Mr Turnbull expected that number to be even higher this year.

Health authorities have been particularly concerned about influenza this year because of the strain it could place on hospitals, which are already bracing for a surge in coronavirus patients.

Photo: Australians are being urged to get their flu vaccination as soon as possible to reduce strain on the health system. (Pixabay)

The Federal Government said immunisation would reduce the risk of contracting a "very dangerous double-up of flu and coronavirus," both of which affect the respiratory system.

The Australian Medical Association said it was important to prevent influenza cases to reduce pressure on hospitals while they manage coronavirus cases.

The sooner the better

The Federal Government advised that getting vaccinated in April provided optimal protection during the peak influenza period, which usually ran from June to September.

But it warned people in mandatory self-isolation due to a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 should remain in isolation and not leave their home to get a flu vaccination.

Photo: Many people are heading to pharmacies rather than their GP for the flu shot this year. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)

For people who could not get vaccinated straight away because of short supplies, the advice was to book an appointment at your local pharmacy or GP clinic.

"Be patient, the stock is flowing and should be available in local pharmacies over the coming few days or certainly next couple of weeks," Mr Turnbull said.

While pharmacies may be temporarily out of stock because of the early high demand, pharmacists were confident there were enough flu shots to go around.

"I think that everyone should be confident that they will be able to get a flu vaccination this year," Ms Hosking said.

People may be avoiding GP clinics

Andrew Ngeow, president of the Pharmacy Guild of WA, said one of the reasons pharmacies were struggling to meet the demand was because of physical distancing efforts at GP clinics.

Monday would have been Ray Daniels's 74th birthday. But instead of celebrating, his Perth family are mourning their husband and father.

He said patients were being directed towards telephone consults or were "too fearful" to attend a GP, so many had turned to their local pharmacy instead.

"Our belief is probably that there is going to be a lot of stock tied up in medical practices that's not being released to community pharmacies — so that means there's people missing out on doses at the moment," he said.

Mr Ngeow also called for ordering limits on free flu vaccines for over 65s to be lifted to meet the current demand.

The ABC has contacted WA Health for comment about the number of flu vaccinations available.

Free vaccinations for high risk groups

The following people can receive a free flu vaccination through the National Immunisation Program for high-risk groups:

• Children aged between six months and five years
• Adults aged 65 and over
• All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Pregnant women

There is also a free vaccination available for people who have medical conditions that increase their risk of flu-related complications. These include:

• Cardiac disease
• Chronic respiratory conditions
• Chronic neurological conditions
• Immunocompromising conditions
• Diabetes
• Chronic metabolic disorders
• Renal disease
• Long-term aspirin therapy in children aged between six months and 10 years

Topics: covid-19, infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, diseases-and-disorders, health, influenza, doctors-and-medical-professionals, pharmaceuticals, vaccines-and-immunity, perth-6000, wa

First posted April 07, 2020 16:19:50