The Dept of Health & Aging announces free flu vaccination program for over 65s 

The Australian Government has officially launched its annual free flu vaccination program for people over 65 - with record supplies of vaccinations being distributed to prepare for this year's flu season. Currently, there are some 2.8 million Australians - about 13 per cent of the population - aged 65 and over. This number is expected to triple in 40 years.

At the launch, the Minister for Ageing, Mrs Justine Elliot, urged Australians over 65 to get the free influenza shots to protect themselves from potentially life-threatening winter illness. When a person turns 65, they are eligible for the free vaccine. It is recommended to have the vaccination close to the flu season - usually April to October.
On average between 1997- 2006, 2,758 Australians died each year from influenza and pneumonia. The Federal Government will spend more than $28.8 million on influenza and related programs in 2008-09 with a record 2.712 million doses of influenza vaccine distributed to GPs, at clinics or in nursing homes in 2008. In 2008, there were 9,129 cases of laboratory-confirmed influenza diagnosed and reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.