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Speaker 1: We do know that the Australian Medical Association's warning that

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Speaker 1: we could be in for a horror flu season due

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Speaker 1: to falling vaccination rates, which could see more lives lost

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Speaker 1: from the flu and other respiratory illnesses. The peak body

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Speaker 1: is putting a drop in vaccination rates. It's putting it

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Speaker 1: down to vaccine fatigue following covit and misleading information on

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Speaker 1: social media. Now, the AMA's NT branch president, Doctor Robert Parker,

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Speaker 1: joins me on the line. Good morning, doctor.

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Speaker 2: Parker, Morning Cody.

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Speaker 1: Now tell me what are the current predictions for the

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Speaker 1: flu season.

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Speaker 2: Well, it's supposed to be very severe and I gather

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Speaker 2: it's killed number one thousand people in the US already.

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Speaker 2: So the influenza is not the cold. Unfortunately flu was

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Speaker 2: in it into the lexiconogy I've got the flu is

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Speaker 2: most people have got a cold. Influenza is actually a

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Speaker 2: very serious viral infection that's a lot worse than the cold,

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Speaker 2: and pitch has a lot very severe effects, including pneumonia,

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Speaker 2: can affect the heart, can affect the heart and affect

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Speaker 2: other parts of the body. And as I said in

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Speaker 2: the stakes, that quite quite a significant people that's already

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Speaker 2: died from the current flu epidemic passing through so and

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Speaker 2: people you know, the influenza. I mean, I've had influenza

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Speaker 2: twice in my life, never want to have it again.

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Speaker 2: It's basically total lethargy, muscle aches and pains, feeling like

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Speaker 2: you've you know, you're you're really stuffed. And it's that

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Speaker 2: the people people, particularly vulnerable older people and you know,

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Speaker 2: people with existing heart with health problems. Indigenous Australians are

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Speaker 2: much more susceptible to the significant side effects.

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Speaker 1: So doctor Parker tell us, in terms of a drop

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Speaker 1: in vaccination rates, what do you think that's been caused by?

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Speaker 2: Well, again, I think there's again social unfortunately, social media

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Speaker 2: is having that sort of negative effect or misinformation offfect.

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Speaker 2: I think there is a bit of fatigue. People are

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Speaker 2: getting tired, and particularly up to COVID when there was

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Speaker 2: a lot of issues about vaccinations and regular vaccinations and

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Speaker 2: controversy about vaccinations, and potentially then the effect of anti

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Speaker 2: vaxxes on social media. It's potentially quite difficult. And again

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Speaker 2: the anti vaxxes are very good, that's bring the word

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Speaker 2: and having no responsibility for what happens to individuals who

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Speaker 2: get very sick or even die from this illness.

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Speaker 1: Now, Tommy, when should people actually get vaccinated for the flu?

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Speaker 1: Is that something that's available now?

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Speaker 2: Yes, it's available from the GPIN now for vulnerable populations

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Speaker 2: such as older people like themselves, it's available free and

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Speaker 2: older people need the quadrivalent one, so that's the stronger

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Speaker 2: one to protect them. Yes, So in I think if

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Speaker 2: pharmacies also do the flu vaccinations and people should get

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Speaker 2: With winter approaching and people arriving from Europe, people you know,

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Speaker 2: air travelers are right from the state, they bring the

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Speaker 2: flu with them and often it may be asymptomatic, so

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Speaker 2: you might be sitting next to someone on a plane

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Speaker 2: or talking with someone who's just got a plane and

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Speaker 2: there they might be sneezing but not have the flu symblems.

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Speaker 2: But that's just the first stage of it. And then

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Speaker 2: they you've got the flu, and you've got the flu,

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Speaker 2: and then you're passing on to people you know and

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Speaker 2: love as well, so it gets around very quickly.

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Speaker 1: And Doctor Parker, people can just book in with their GP,

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Speaker 1: can't they to get the flu vaccine or as you've said,

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Speaker 1: some of the different pharmacies and chemists do provide it.

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Speaker 2: Also, that's correct.

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Speaker 1: Now in terms of you did touch on these, but

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Speaker 1: in terms of who is most at risk or a

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Speaker 1: greater risk, just talk us through that.

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Speaker 2: Well again, as people have got preexisting issues such as diabetes,

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Speaker 2: a chronic of structure, airways disease, heart conditions, they're all

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Speaker 2: their health is sort of they're frailized both compared to

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Speaker 2: normally help normal healthy ouduts in twenties and thirties. So

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Speaker 2: when they get hit by the by the flu, it's

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Speaker 2: like you've be being hit by a viral sleep shammer.

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Speaker 2: They're already weak, and the flu because they're already weak,

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Speaker 2: if we can exacerbate existing conditions or can even make

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Speaker 2: their commission to life crepting one well, doctor.

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Speaker 1: Robert Parker, it is always a good reminder for people

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Speaker 1: to make sure that they are covered as the flu

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Speaker 1: season gets underway. Is like, what really is the time

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Speaker 1: of year for us here on the top end, when

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Speaker 1: does it tend to peak?

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Speaker 2: Well, flu is always more of a winter illness than

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Speaker 2: the summer illness. But again you know winter and the

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Speaker 2: people in America with the flu get on the plane

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Speaker 2: come to Australia past the flu onto other people. So

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Speaker 2: I mean the one of the Probably one of the

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Speaker 2: only benefits of COVID was that the flu that influentirates

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Speaker 2: struck dramatically because travel was stopped, so people weren't able

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Speaker 2: to travel around and pass the bug around. Unfortunately, you've

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Speaker 2: got travel, international travel. It's very easy for the bug

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Speaker 2: to travel across state borders, across international borders, but generally

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Speaker 2: the winter. Generally winter is the worst time for it.

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Speaker 2: Bath overseas and Illustralia well.

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Speaker 1: Australian Medical Association NT branch President, Doctor Robert Parker. Always

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Speaker 1: appreciate your time. Thanks for having a chat with me

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Speaker 1: this morning.

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Speaker 2: Good to talk Katie.

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Speaker 1: Thank you