Citizen scientists wanted! Join the fight against flu this season
Scientists and public health experts need your help to track respiratory illness in the community, writes Alexander Brown of Healthy Cities Australia
As Australia faces another flu season, scientists and public health experts are seeking your help to track respiratory illness in the community.
FluTracking is an online health surveillance system that uses the power of the internet and your input to monitor respiratory illnesses like influenza, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).
Taking part in FluTracker is easy. Just sign up on the FluTracking website and provide some basic demographic information. Each week you will receive a short online survey in your email. It only takes 30 seconds to complete, but provides invaluable data that enables scientists to:
- Conduct surveillance of community-level respiratory illnesses
- Maintain consistency in its surveillance over time and in different locations
- Enable year-to-year comparison of timing, attack rates, and seriousness of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV in the community
Since its inception in 2006 with just 400 active ‘FluTrackers’, participation now averages over 50,000 responses each week. But new FluTrackers are always needed. The more people in different parts of Australia who respond to FluTracker surveys each week, the more useful the data becomes for scientists and public health officials working to keep us safe.
As the flu season gets underway in the Illawarra, local public health officials are expecting to see more cases in the coming weeks. According to the Australian Centre for Disease Control, flu causes around 3,500 deaths each year in Australia, as well 18,000 hospitalisations and 300,000 visits to a general practitioner. It poses a particular risk to children, older people and those with compromised immune systems.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and those around you from the effects of severe illness from influenza.
Vaccination is safe, effective in reducing severe illness, and relatively inexpensive – with many people at higher risk eligible for free vaccination. Although some people avoid influenza vaccination due to fears of adverse reactions, the risk of adverse reactions is lower than the risk of adverse outcomes due to severe disease.
Because the influenza virus continually mutates and changes, it’s important to get your flu shot each year. Unfortunately, many Australians are missing out on the protection vaccination can offer. Data compiled by the Australian CDC showing that last year, 70% of children under 5 years and 38% of adults aged 65 and over did not receive their flu shot. So don’t delay, visit healthdirect to find a vaccination provider near you.
Some recent changes have made vaccination even more accessible, with RSV vaccines now free for people over 75 and Aboriginal people over 60 years of age. Children and parents who dread the annual battle over the flu needle should also be aware that the new FluMist (LAIV) administered via a nasal spray is now available for under 5s.
Have a chat to your doctor or pharmacist about which vaccinations are recommended for you.
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