A cheap vaccine has been blamed for the number of Australians succumbing to the flu this winter, with more than double the number of confirmed cases.

Doctors are blaming a cheap vaccine for failing to protect the elderly in what has been Australia’s worst flu season on record.

Figures reveal more than 217,000 Australians had laboratory confirmed cases of the flu this year – more than double the previous record of just over 100,000 in 2015.

A $6 version of the vaccine was the problem, which did not properly protect the elderly, Immunisation Coalition chair Professor Paul van Buynder told News Corp on Monday.

“Paying for a vaccine that doesn’t work is a false economy, if you can stop tens of thousands of people getting sick or hospitalisation the extra expense is worth undertaking,” the professor said.

“This was a disaster year and if we don’t get policy change as a result heaven help me.”

Professor van Buynder works as a public physician on the Gold Coast and has worked as a member of an expert panel to help the government choose the vaccine for national immunisation.

Despite van Buynder’s claims to New Corp, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Brendan Murphy told the publication the advisory group always ensures the nation receives the best vaccine.

Mr Murphy previously told reporters this season’s vaccine selected by the World Health Organisation, gave “moderate to good” coverage of the viruses, but it had not been as effective as previous years.

The Australian Influenza Surveillance Report showed notification rates have been highest for adults aged 80 years or older, with a peak also amongst children aged five to nine-years-old.

Influenza A was the most common virus throughout the season.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/10/30/budget-version-flu-vaccine-blamed-bad-season

lulz, what a douche.

>>Figures reveal more than 217,000 Australians had laboratory confirmed cases of the flu this year – more than double the previous record of just over 100,000 in 2015.<<

This is very recent?

buffy said:

>>Figures reveal more than 217,000 Australians had laboratory confirmed cases of the flu this year – more than double the previous record of just over 100,000 in 2015.<<

This is very recent?

reporting is quite speedy wrt flu.

I suspect more lab tests are done now than in the 1960s – was there even a test then? These figures have to be iffy because we amn’t comparing oranges with oranges.

buffy said:

I suspect more lab tests are done now than in the 1960s – was there even a test then? These figures have to be iffy because we amn’t comparing oranges with oranges.

Don’t think so, PCR was first done in the mid 80s.

buffy said:

These figures have to be iffy because we amn’t comparing oranges with oranges.

We’re comparing 2015 to 2017, seems reasonable.

I tend to steer clear of people coughing and avoid the pub when the cold season hits and people in town are complaining about it “going around”, also people know not to visit if they have the sniffles. Very glad to have avoided this seasons bullet.

cheep cheep

poikilotherm said:

buffy said:

These figures have to be iffy because we amn’t comparing oranges with oranges.

We’re comparing 2015 to 2017, seems reasonable.

>>Doctors are blaming a cheap vaccine for failing to protect the elderly in what has been Australia’s worst flu season on record.<<

Records from when?

Bubblecar said:

A cheap vaccine has been blamed for the number of Australians succumbing to the flu this winter, with more than double the number of confirmed cases.

Doctors are blaming a cheap vaccine for failing to protect the elderly in what has been Australia’s worst flu season on record.

Figures reveal more than 217,000 Australians had laboratory confirmed cases of the flu this year – more than double the previous record of just over 100,000 in 2015.

A $6 version of the vaccine was the problem, which did not properly protect the elderly, Immunisation Coalition chair Professor Paul van Buynder told News Corp on Monday.

Well, I suppose we could have waited another couple of years until a more expensive flu vaccine became available. TIC.

buffy said:

poikilotherm said:

buffy said:

These figures have to be iffy because we amn’t comparing oranges with oranges.

We’re comparing 2015 to 2017, seems reasonable.

>>Doctors are blaming a cheap vaccine for failing to protect the elderly in what has been Australia’s worst flu season on record.<<

Records from when?

Probably around the mid 90s to early 00s. Although it wouldn’t matter if it was only the last 3 years, it’d still be the ‘worst on record’ and factually correct.

Gotta love statistics.

Experts slam ‘utterly false’ claims Australians given budget flu vaccine

Australia’s Chief Medical Officer has stridently rejected claims a “budget” flu vaccine was partly responsible for this year’s horror flu season, as the academic quoted called the reports “inaccurate”.

Professor Brendan Murphy called “utterly false” accusations that a cheaper flu vaccine was to blame for hundreds flu-related deaths among the elderly this year.

“I could not be clearer – I completely refute this false claim,” CMO Professor Murphy said of the reports first published in News Corp papers.

Immunisation Coalition chair Professor Paul Van Buynder – quoted in the article – on Tuesday distanced himself from the claims, saying: “Media reports referring to ‘cheap vaccines’ don’t accurately describe the situation of vaccine purchasing in Australia.”

“The vaccine purchased by the Australian government and used this year was the best available in Australia at the time, and remains so today,” Professor van Buynder said in a statement.

“While the vaccine was relatively ineffective in the elderly this year, we had no alternative vaccine available.”

http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/experts-slam-utterly-false-claims-australians-given-budget-flu-vaccine-20171030-gzb3hv.html