Casey Barendrecht, and Elsie Barendrecht, 10, pictured with an intranasal influenza vaccine. Intranasal influenza vaccines press conference at Perth Children’s Hospital on Wednesday.
A new nasal spray vaccine, FluMist, is set to launch in Western Australia (WA) next year, aimed at increasing flu vaccination rates among children. The Cook Government has committed nearly $5 million to secure 130,000 doses of the needle-free vaccine, a move that has been welcomed by health professionals as a significant step toward improving public health.
Chris Blyth, head of infectious diseases at Perth Children’s Hospital, emphasized the importance of vaccination in children, who are particularly susceptible to influenza and play a crucial role in spreading the virus. “By protecting them, we get an opportunity not only to protect the individual but their families, their grandparents and others as well,” he explained.
The low vaccination rates in WA have raised concerns, as only 15 percent of children aged five to 15 have received the flu vaccine this year. This decline has been partly attributed to vaccine anxiety, misinformation, and the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Health officials reported nearly 4,000 hospitalizations due to the flu, a figure that is 77 percent higher than the five-year average. Additionally, 13 flu-related deaths have been recorded in 2023.
The introduction of FluMist is expected to encourage more parents to vaccinate their children. Casey Barendrecht, whose daughter Elsie, aged 10, is among the few who have been vaccinated, expressed optimism about the nasal option. “As (my kids) got older it’s gotten better, but they both had periods in their lives where they’ve been really, genuinely, quite scared of needles,” she said, calling the nasal spray a potential “game changer.”
Meredith Hammat, WA’s Health Minister, highlighted the rollout as part of a broader strategy to prepare for the upcoming winter season. “It’s simple, it’s easy and for children aged two to 12, where FluMist will be available, we think this is a significant way to increase the uptake of vaccination,” she stated.
The flu season in WA has been exceptionally challenging, with reports indicating that over 17,000 children have presented to emergency departments with respiratory illnesses this winter, leading to 1,300 admissions. Hammat underscored the necessity of vaccination in alleviating the burden on healthcare facilities and reducing illness in families.
As WA prepares to implement the FluMist program, health authorities are hopeful that this innovative vaccine method will significantly improve childhood vaccination rates and contribute to better overall public health outcomes.
