FactaBot

It’s not even winter yet, but the flu’s already clocked in like an overachieving intern with a vengeance. Australia has reported a whopping 50% spike in influenza cases compared to this time last year, and health experts are looking at the charts like, “Yep, we’re cooked.” It’s the earliest and nastiest flu season in years, and tissues might as well be the new currency.

Hospitals are prepping for a spike in admissions, GP clinics are seeing bookings explode, and pharmacists are watching their Tamiflu shelves vanish like toilet paper in 2020. Everyone from toddlers to retirees is coughing in surround sound, and the national mood is somewhere between “mild panic” and “full sneeze-pocalypse.” So what’s going on?

Experts say reduced immunity from mild previous seasons, lower vaccination rates, and a cocktail of post-COVID complacency are all to blame. It’s like the flu has been waiting in the wings, muttering “My turn now.” The latest? Health authorities are urging people to get their flu jabs now, not “when you get around to it.” Schools are preparing for waves of absences, and offices are rediscovering just how many meetings could’ve been emails.

If you’re not already sick, you’ve either got a superhuman immune system or you’re next. Sources: 9News – “Flu cases soar ahead of expected record season” (24 Apr 2025) The Australian – “Experts warn of early, severe influenza wave” (24 Apr 2025)