Australia is currently experiencing one of the heaviest influenza epidemics in years. Up to 200 people have already fallen victim to the flu. So please remind those traveling there, of the vaccination protection.
The German Center for Travel Medicine (in German Centrum für Reisemedizin or CRM) currently recommends influenza vaccination for all travelers to Australia. The states most affected are South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland. However, the first infections have also been detected on the island of Tasmania.
By the end of June 2019, the Australian authorities counted approximately 100,500 confirmed infections nationwide. A year earlier, there were only 16,100 infections in the same period. So far, 192 people have died of flu-related complications. Older people are particularly affected.
In the southern hemisphere, the flu season usually lasts from June to October. So if you are planning a holiday in Australia during the summer holidays, you should pay attention to the vaccination against influenza. Tourists onboard cruise ships and participants in organized tourist groups particularly often forget the dangers of influenza. Vaccination protection is important for people over the age of 60, for the chronically ill and for pregnant women.
In addition to influenza, travel counselors should always check the vaccination status for hepatitis A and B as well as for meningococcus. The more individual the travel plans and the closer the contact with the Australian population, the greater the risk of infection. Appropriate revaccinations or booster vaccinations are usually also possible a few weeks before departure.
Source:
https://www.crm.de/aktuell/