Nearly 25,000 flu cases recorded as doctors warn horror season is looming

Nearly 25,000 flu cases have already been reported in Australia in 2026, a grim snapshot of what the cooler seasons could bring after last year's horror numbers.

The Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) has urged Australians to book in their annual flu shot now after 24,800 cases were recorded at the end of March.

Doctors have warned that hospitals desperately want to avoid a repeat of 2025, when high flu numbers overwhelmed emergency rooms and resulted in ambulance ramping.

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Influenza cases exploded in 2025 to 502,972 lab-confirmed flu diagnoses and 1738 deaths – the worst flu year on record.

"Last year was a horror flu year. That likely contributed to the surge in demand on our hospitals we saw in 2025, and unacceptable ambulance ramping when hospitals couldn't cope as a result," RACGP President Dr Michael Wright said.

"No one wants to see that again. Not parents, and not the state and territory governments which run our public hospitals."

A new and highly mutated strain of influenza A (H3N2), dubbed 'Super-K', was first detected in the United States in June and led to the deaths of dozens of children.

Now, the highly contagious strain has been confirmed in Australia.

Wright called on Australians to ensure they are up to date with their flu vaccinations.

"More than 2700 of the flu cases Australia has recorded this year were among babies and children under five, who are at a higher risk of hospitalisation and complications, whether or not they have pre-existing medical conditions," he added.

"All adults should get a flu vaccine each year, but for those young children, it's essential."

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Some states now offer needle-free intranasal flu vaccines for young children.

Needle-free vaccinations for children aged two to five are available at GPs in NSW, Queensland and South Australia

In WA, the intranasal vaccines are available for children aged two to 12.

"Intranasal vaccines provide the same protection as current vaccinations, but replace a needle with a painless spray," Wright said.

"It's a smart way to keep kids safe from severe infections, which can have long-term health consequences."

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