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Flu Fact Sheet

The flu is more than a cold — protect yourself and others every year.

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Key Summary

  • Serious illness: Influenza is more severe than the common cold and can be life-threatening. It causes an estimated 1,000 deaths and 51,000 hospitalisations in Australia each year.
  • Highly contagious: Spreads easily through coughs, sneezes, and contaminated surfaces. People can spread flu before symptoms appear. Children are often the biggest spreaders.
  • Who is at risk:
    • Adults 65+
    • Children under 5
    • During Pregnancy
    • First Nations peoples
    • People with chronic health conditions (heart, lung, kidney, diabetes, cancer, neurological disorders, weakened immunity).
  • Prevention:
    • Annual flu vaccine recommended for everyone 6 months+; free for high-risk groups under the National Immunisation Program (NIP).
    • Best time to vaccinate: April–May, before winter flu season.
    • Good hygiene, handwashing, masks, and avoiding close contact also reduce spread.
  • If you get sick: Stay home, rest, drink fluids, and avoid contact with others. Don’t return to work or school too early.
  • Treatment: Antiviral medicines may help if taken early; antibiotics won’t work as flu is viral.

How serious is seasonal influenza?

Influenza infection usually has different symptoms and causes a more severe illness than most other common viral respiratory infections and may be a life-threatening infection in certain people; it should not be confused with the common cold!

In most parts of Australia, influenza outbreaks are seasonal, occurring between late autumn and early spring. 

Seasonal outbreaks occur every year and vary from mild sporadic outbreaks to serious epidemics; it is estimated to cause up to 1,000 deaths and 51,000 hospitalisations in Australia annually1.

How contagious is influenza?

Influenza viruses are mainly spread when infected people cough or sneeze, releasing small virus-containing droplets into the air which can be breathed in and infect the respiratory tract of the people around them. 

Contaminated respiratory secretions on hands and other surfaces can also transmit the infection by hand to mouth or eye infection.

It has been found that influenza viruses can survive for up to an hour in the air of an enclosed environment2, more than eight hours on hard surfaces such as stainless steel and plastic3, and up to five minutes on hands after transfer from other surfaces3.

One very important factor in the spread of influenza is that early in infection, even before symptoms become evident, an infected person can be shedding influenza viruses and infecting the people around them. 

Good cough and sneeze etiquette and hand washing can contribute to limiting the spread of influenza and other respiratory virus infections.

It is generally believed that young children are the greatest spreaders of influenza because they generate more viruses in their respiratory tract and are less likely to practice good hygiene4.

Who is at risk?

People with underlying medical conditions:

  • heart conditions
  • severe asthma
  • COPD and other lung conditions
  • diabetes (type 1 and type 2)
  • kidney problems
  • impaired immunity such as HIV infection
  • malignant cancers
  • chronic neurological disorders
  • During pregnancy
  • People ≥ 65 years of age, residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities,
  • Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

Who else should be protected by vaccination?

People who care for or are in close contact with at-risk individuals are advised to protect themselves against influenza to avoid passing on the disease.

Vaccination is also recommended for travellers and many otherwise healthy Australians who wish to reduce the likelihood of becoming ill with influenza.

How can you reduce your risk of catching influenza?

Vaccination against influenza is recommended for all Australians who are 6 months of age or older. Influenza vaccines available in Australia offer a high degree of protection against seasonal illness and the severe consequences of influenza.

Remember to make a booking with your GP or pharmacist about getting your flu shot this year. 

Influenza vaccines must be administered annually because:

  1. The viruses change over time.
  2. Protection from the vaccine starts to diminish after several months. That is why in Australia, the best time to get vaccinated is in April or May, so that you have the most protection in the winter months.

Free influenza vaccine is available under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for people in the following risk groups:

  • Older adults (65+)
  • Children aged between 6 months and less than 5 years old
  • First Nations peoples aged 6 months and over
  • Any stage of pregnancy*
  • People aged 6 months and over with medical conditions that can lead to complications from influenza (such as severe asthma, lung or heart disease, chronic neurological disease, renal and metabolic disease, and impaired immunity)

Good hand hygiene, social distancing and use of face masks have all shown to be effective at slowing the spread of cold and flu viruses.

What can you do if you fall ill with influenza?

Influenza is highly contagious and can be spread for up to a day before symptoms appear and for five days afterwards.

Eleven ways to aid recovery and avoid spreading influenza:

  • stay home
  • rest and keep warm
  • consume plenty of liquids
  • do not consume alcohol
  • wash hands regularly
  • cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
  • avoid physical contact with others
  • avoid mixing with other people, particularly those in a high-risk category, while contagious
  • stop smoking or cut your consumption down as much as you can
  • make sure someone can check on you and do your shopping
  • don’t return to work early, you could still be contagious.

A number of effective antiviral medications for influenza have been developed, which need to be administered early in the course of the infection for the best results. If you are exhibiting flu-like symptoms, speak to your GP about whether influenza antivirals are right for you. 

Cold and flu tablets do not treat influenza, but may reduce the discomfort of fever and muscle aches and pains.

Antibiotics only work for bacterial infections, so they won’t work for colds and flu which are caused by viruses.

Influenza Guide 

View our Influenza Guide for Healthcare Professionals here.

References:

  1. Bean B, Moore BM, Sterner B et al. Survival of influenza virus on environmental surfaces. J Infect Dis July 1982;146(1):47-51  
  2. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Influenza (flu). In the Australian Immunisation Handbook [Internet]. Canberra (ACT): Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care; 2023 [cited 23 Aug 2024]. Available from https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/contents/vaccine-preventable-diseases/influenza-flu#influenza-in-australia
  3. Knight V. Viruses as agents of airborne contagion [chapter V]. Annals of the New York Academic Sciences 1980;353:147-156