An “unprecedented” flu season in South Australia has led to 53 separate outbreaks in aged care homes across the state since the start of this year.
18 facilities have gone into lockdown as a result of the outbreaks – and eight doctors and members of the Immunisation Coalition (IC) held an emergency meeting last week.
They say a delayed access to the flu vaccine, specifically the version made for people over 65, has contributed to the problem, along with a "lack of consistencies" in handling outbreaks in residential facilities.
There is currently no legal requirement for residential care facilities to notify the state health department of influenza outbreaks.
