‘Serious threat': Fresh Covid warnings as jab rates decline
Fewer than 250,000 Queenslanders have received their free Covid booster this year, prompting urgent calls from doctors to people who have not yet been vaccinated to get the jab.
The calls come as new data from the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing revealed that more than 15,000 Covid cases had been reported in Queensland since January, with almost 3000 people hospitalised with the virus.
'We have dropped the ball with Covid-19 vaccinations, but this disease is still very prevalent in the community and poses a serious threat to high-risk patients,' Mater director of infectious diseases Paul Griffin said.
'Particularly for high-risk people, it should now be a once-a-year booster, just like the flu vaccine is, and with winter here next week, now is the time to get vaccinated and it's safe to get them both together.
'There are hundreds of different strains of Omicron, and the new subvariant NB. 1.8.1 is driving up infections and hospitalisations, particularly in Asia and Western Australia.
'The best way to protect yourself and your family is to get the newest booster which provides very good coverage, is safe, and will reduce the severity of your symptoms if you contract Covid-19.'
Queensland health providers are dealing with high cases of both flu and RSV, in addition to Covid.
More than 2000 Queenslanders have been hospitalised with the flu this year.
Cases are up more than 30 per cent from the same time last year, but only a quarter of Queenslanders have been vaccinated.
'We are at our lowest levels of vaccination and protection in five years and with early rises in cases with winter approaching, the impact on our healthcare system could be significant, particularly with high levels of flu and RSV,' Professor Griffin said.
The Covid and flu vaccines are free in Queensland and available at most pharmacies and GP clinics, and they are safe to receive at the same time
In addition to Covid and the flu, about 12,000 cases of RSV have been reported in Queensland this year, with more than 1500 people hospitalised.
'More than half of these hospitalisations have been for the most vulnerable in our community, babies less than six months and people over 65,' Professor Griffin said.
RSV is the leading cause of hospitalisation for babies in Australia, and Queensland recorded the highest number of deaths due to RSV last year.
RSV vaccinations are free for pregnant women, with immunity then passed onto babies up until they are six months old.
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ABC News
3 minutes ago
- ABC News
Negative gearing reform is back on the agenda, but younger voters now hold the power
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The Australian
36 minutes ago
- The Australian
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The Age
3 hours ago
- The Age
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Earlier in the day, former Greens candidate for Wills Samantha Ratnam addressed the crowd to roaring applause and clanging pots, a symbol of food shortages in Gaza. She said Labor was feeling pressure amid rising calls for Israeli sanctions and greater scrutiny on contracts for military parts. 'The more they minimise us ... the more and more they're being overwhelmed [by the] community telling them they're on the wrong side of history,' she said. Rally organiser Mohammad Sharab said the protests were about peace and humanity, criticising the media and politicians for calling the protesters 'extremists'. 'We stand for justice ... We are not ashamed of it. For those who call us extremist and antisemitic for standing against genocide, these extreme comments make you the extremist. That's my message to [Premier] Jacinta Allan,' he said. Palestinian activist Basil El Ghattis held up pictures of children aged from six months to 17 years old, suffering severe malnutrition from the aid blockade in Gaza. 'The starvation of Palestinians today is a page out of the colonial playbook,' he said. 'We must hold our government to account.' Earlier, a Victoria Police spokeswoman said the force repeatedly engaged with Melbourne protest organisers to persuade them not to gather on the King Street Bridge, but rally plans had not changed. She said officers would have a visible presence in the city on Sunday, with additional police brought in from outside metropolitan Melbourne. Police confirmed there were no arrests, but they were following up a report that an egg was thrown at a person during the protest Organisers from the Free Palestine Coalition said the police decision to bring in hundreds of additional officers was a waste of resources for a peaceful protest. 'Gaza is suffering from an ongoing forced man-made famine and ongoing bombing of civilians,' the coalition said. 'This is exactly why organisers are holding the protest to King Street Bridge ... to let the good people of the city of Melbourne know that there are atrocities happening in Gaza, and that we as a community have an opportunity to change the status quo, and bring about change.' Loading The Israeli government has denied claims of genocide and starvation in Gaza, claiming the war is an act of self-defence. Premier Jacinta Allan warned protesters there would be consequences for anyone who caused chaos in the CBD. 'There are strong operational arrangements in place for today. Those are in place to support people's safety,' she said at a press conference on Sunday morning before the protest. 'Anyone who breaks the law, anyone who compromises community safety will be dealt with swiftly by Victoria Police.' Opposition Leader Brad Battin said it was vital that rallies had to receive a permit to go-ahead and police were given powers to 'move on' protesters, to avoid circumstances where major roads were closed. '[The state government] hasn't brought the legislation in to ensure we've got registration of protests here in our state … to keep the community moving and keep the community safe,' he said. Last week, Police Chief Commissioner, Mike Bush, ruled out introducing protest permits in Victoria, saying they had not been a game-changer in other states. On Sunday, Battin urged the chief commissioner to reconsider, suggesting a stance against protest permits was the wrong message for Victoria. 'The chief commissioner has been here for a short period of time, not for all 92 of these protests that have happened in the city ... But the reality is, the legislation lies with the government.' The Victorian government last year announced it would criminalise face masks at protests and the use of glue, rope, chains and other devices that cause disruptions, but it is yet to bring the bill to parliament.
