WA flu shots: Mark McGowan reveals West Australians will be eligible for free influenza vaccine

West Australians will be given free flu shots from Wednesday to stop hospitals being overrun with influenza patients as the health system battles hundreds of COVID patients and an ambulance crisis. Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson and WA Premier Mark McGowan will announce on Sunday that for the month of June, any West Australian will be eligible for a free influenza shot. They’ll be available from government-run vaccination clinics on a walk-in basis and from participating pharmacies and doctors. There are fears a severe flu outbreak would put more strain on an already overstretched health workforce which has dealt with the pandemic for more than two years and has 3500 staff out of action. Under the flu jab plan, pharmacies and doctors will be provided with free vaccines from the WA Government and they will be paid to administer the jabs. “For the month of June, the McGowan Government is making flu vaccination free for every single person who lives in WA,” Ms Sanderson said. “At the moment it’s free under a national immunisation program for people at higher risk, like Aboriginal people, under-fives and over 65s. “But in order to protect the community as much as possible and take it easy on our health workers who are doing an incredibly hard job right now, we are going to make (the flu vaccine) available for free for everyone in WA for the month of June.” Ms Sanderson said the government had purchased “plenty” of flu vaccine stock for winter. “We have secured supply for those high-risk groups, and also enough for (free flu jabs) in June. We will continue to explore supply to extend that (timeframe) if we need to,” Ms Sanderson said. “We want to make sure that as many people as possible are covered. “If that means that we need to extend it (free flu jabs) beyond June and we can secure supply we will look at that. “What we are concerned about, and what public health officials are telling us, is that a combination of COVID-19 and flu for people could make people very, very sick.” Traditionally, flu season hits hard in WA. So far this year, 194 people have been infected. But for the same time in 2019, 3415 people caught the flu. As of Friday night, there were 305 people with COVID-19 in WA hospitals — seven in ICU — as 8665 cases were recorded. There were fears WA could hit 25,000 daily cases of COVID-19 a day but that hasn’t eventuated. “Importantly, we know it (flu) puts a burden on our health system at winter,” Ms Sanderson said. “We already have our health workers working extra shifts, overtime, covering their colleagues who are on furlough. “There is about 3500 staff at the moment across the system who either have COVID or have people they need to look after with COVID. We want to do everything we can to limit the burden on those staff who are doing a fantastic job.” WA has recorded 714,222 cases of COVID in WA. Ms Sanderson said it was hoped COVID cases in WA had now peaked. “Potentially (COVID-19 numbers in WA have peaked),” Ms Sanderson said. “The only person who can make that declaration is the Chief Health Officer. But he is feeling more confident that we have passed the peak.”