More than 7.3 million flu shots have been administered so far this year, compared to 4.5 million this time in 2019 and 3.5 million in 2018.
“Both influenza and COVID-19 cause serious respiratory illness,” Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Wednesday.
“The combination of both diseases could be life threatening, especially for our vulnerable people.”
A record number of flu vaccines will be available in Australia this year, with 2 million new doses made available this week bringing the total number to 18 million.
This is up from 13.2 million flu vaccines in 2019, 11 million in 2018 and almost 10 million more than the 8.3 million flu vaccines provided in 2017, the Department of Health said in a statement.
It comes as Australia’s coronavirus death toll jumped to 103, after a 30-year-old central Queensland man died on Tuesday night at Blackwater – the youngest person in the nation to have died from the virus.
Australia has recorded 7142 confirmed cases of the virus to date.
