Just over one-quarter of Australians who intend to get a flu shot this year will do so simply because of concern over COVID-19, a national survey shows.

However, some five million adults say they have no plans to have a flu vaccination this year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) says, despite pleas from GPs and health authorities.

The National Heart Foundation has seized on the findings to push for a greater uptake of flu vaccination, particularly among people with existing cardiovascular conditions who are below the age of 65.

“We know that people with heart disease are at increased risk of hospitalisation or death associated with influenza infection,” says the foundation’s manager of risk reduction, Natalie Raffoul.