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Speaker 1: And we know that territorians have been reminded to get

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Speaker 1: vaccinated for the flu, with more than fourteen one hundred

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Speaker 1: cases in the Northern Territory since the start of the year. Now,

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Speaker 1: health authorities say cases tend to pick up during the

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Speaker 1: dry season with an influx of visitors to the top

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Speaker 1: end from southern states. Now joining us on the line

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Speaker 1: is into Health public health physician doctor azish Yadiv. Good

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Speaker 1: morning to you. Doctor.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Katie, Thank you so.

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Speaker 1: Very much for your time. Now, fourteen hundred cases, it

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Speaker 1: sounds like quite a large number. Is the actual number

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Speaker 1: of cases likely to rise?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a good question, and I can tell you

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Speaker 2: that that number keeps on increasing. So it's as of

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Speaker 2: yesterday it was almost fourteen hundred and sixty cases. And

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Speaker 2: you're right, because of the dry season, because of a

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Speaker 2: lot of tourist activities, number is likely to go up.

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Speaker 2: And that is consistent with what we have seen over

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Speaker 2: the past few years.

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Speaker 1: All right, So it is the number is consistent with

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Speaker 1: previous years. I mean, how severe is this strain of

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Speaker 1: the flu? Are we seeing hospitalizations due to this flu?

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Speaker 2: Yes? In fact, this year itself in twenty twenty five,

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Speaker 2: We've had almost three sixty hospitalizations in the ant because

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Speaker 2: of flu. So although flu can be a mild disease,

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Speaker 2: but it can cause very serious illness and otherwise healthy

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Speaker 2: people as well. And we've had a few deaths as

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Speaker 2: well in the ant really, so yeah, it is it

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Speaker 2: can be very unpredictive in people.

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Speaker 1: Can you tell me how many hospitalizations have we had

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Speaker 1: and from what you said there deaths as well as

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Speaker 1: a result of the flow.

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Speaker 2: Yes, you're right. I think we've had three dates this

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Speaker 2: year because of flu, and in terms of the hospitalizations,

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Speaker 2: as of yesterday, we've had three hundred and eighty four

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Speaker 2: hospitalizations because of flu.

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Speaker 1: How does the hospitalization number compare to previous years? I mean,

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Speaker 1: is that a greater number than what we're saying in

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Speaker 1: other years?

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Speaker 2: It is consistent, I mean it is what we were

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Speaker 2: expecting at this time of the year. So I mean, yeah,

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Speaker 2: that is when the flu cases rise across the whole

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Speaker 2: of Australia and particularly here in the Northern Australia and

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Speaker 2: in the top end here in Darwin. So because of

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Speaker 2: the tropical season, we basically experience flu cases almost throughout

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Speaker 2: the year, but we do get peaks sometimes, especially in

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Speaker 2: the coming few weeks.

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Speaker 1: Why do we sort of see that increase in the

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Speaker 1: coming few weeks, I mean, is it because things cool

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Speaker 1: down a little beach? What's the reason for that.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just that the way the virus spreads, I mean,

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Speaker 2: it is a respiratory infection and it basically has the

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Speaker 2: same spread. It usually spreads from person to person through

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Speaker 2: droplets that are breathed in or ingested. So when people

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Speaker 2: are in close proximity, especially in areas like schools or

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Speaker 2: nursing homes, that's when the spread of these droplets containing

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Speaker 2: the flu virus gets accelerated. So more people means more

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Speaker 2: physical contact, and that increases the likelihood of more transmitting.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Right, So who should get a flu vaccine?

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Speaker 2: Doctor, Yeah, that's a very important question. And so there

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Speaker 2: are groups of people who are at higher risk of

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Speaker 2: the complications from FEE and these are the group of

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Speaker 2: people who are eligible to get a free flu vaccine

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Speaker 2: under the National Immunization Program. So they include our aboriginal

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Speaker 2: and Torres strait islender people aged six months and above,

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Speaker 2: all children aged six months to less than five years.

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Speaker 2: The flu vaccine is given to all pregnant women at

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Speaker 2: any stage of pregnancy. Pregnancy in itself is a complicated state,

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Speaker 2: so those women are also eligible for the free vaccine,

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Speaker 2: as well as people aged sixty five years in above

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Speaker 2: and lastly a group of people who have a certain

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Speaker 2: medical condition that increases their risk of severe influenza.

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Speaker 1: Okay, now where can people go to get that vaccine?

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Speaker 1: And I guess even if you're not eligible for the

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Speaker 1: free one, we can go to different places to get

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Speaker 1: it regardless, can't we?

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Speaker 2: Asolutely so the territoriums can access the flu vaccine from

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Speaker 2: their GPS, the health clinics, including the remote health clinics,

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Speaker 2: and from this year in fact, there are certain pharmacies

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Speaker 2: who can give this vaccine to people aged five years

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Speaker 2: in above. And those people who are not eligible to

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Speaker 2: receive the free vaccine, they can always purchase one from

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Speaker 2: their vaccine provider. It's always best to give the pharmacies

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Speaker 2: or the clinics a call in advance just to get

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Speaker 2: all the information.

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Speaker 1: Well doctor, yeah, she she, you dove. I really appreciate

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Speaker 1: your time this morning. Thank you so very much for

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Speaker 1: having a chat with us and making us more aware

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Speaker 1: of flu in the Northern Territory and certainly letting us

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Speaker 1: know how we can protect ourselves.

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Speaker 2: Thanks, and just my last message that getting your annual

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Speaker 2: flu shot isn't just about you, It's about safeguarding our families,

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Speaker 2: our elders, and our elder entire community. So let's just

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Speaker 2: be proactive, let's be strong, and let's get FA accidented well.

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Speaker 1: Thanks doctor Ashisha Dove. Thank you so very much for

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Speaker 1: your time this morning. It is much appreciated.

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Speaker 2: Thanks good Thank you,