We may have been lulled into a false sense of security by last year’s mild influenza season, but it looks like Australia will not be so lucky this year.

Health authorities are urging people to get vaccinated amid an alarming, early rise in influenza cases and deaths across the country.

This article offers an update on the vaccines available this year, how effective they are likely to be, who should receive them, and the risk of adverse effects.

There was very low influenza activity during the 2018 influenza season in Australia, with half of the average rate of GP presentations for influenza-like illness and less than half of the average rate of laboratory confirmed influenza.¹