Health Warning Issued As Flu Cases Rise During Summer

Queensland Health is urging residents to stay home when unwell and practise good hygiene over the festive season, following an unseasonal rise in influenza cases across the state.

Latest Queensland Health data, current as of the 14th of December, shows more than 95,000 flu cases have been recorded so far this year — a 21 per cent increase compared with the same time last year. In the week from 8 to 14 December alone, 1,690 new cases were recorded, following 1,973 cases the previous week.

Queensland Health’s Communicable Diseases Branch Executive Director Dr Heidi Carroll said flu cases and hospitalisations remain higher than expected for this time of year.

“While flu case numbers and hospitalisations remain well below the winter peak, the recent summertime increase in cases is unusual,” Dr Carroll said.

Queenslanders who have not yet received the influenza vaccine this year are encouraged to get immunised to protect themselves, their families and the broader community. The vaccine is available through general practices, community pharmacies, community immunisation clinics, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Services.

Queenslanders planning to travel overseas are also advised to speak with their health care provider about how to best protect themselves while travelling.

Fast facts
As of the 14th of December, Queensland has recorded 95,520 flu cases in 2025, with 82 per cent of confirmed cases occurring in people who were not vaccinated. This compares to 78,952 cases recorded by the same time last year.

Of the cases recorded this year, 10,087 (11 per cent) were children aged under five, while 16,176 (17 per cent) were people aged 65 years and over.
‍A total of 9,187 people have been hospitalised with influenza so far this year, with 4,194 (46 per cent) of those aged 65 and over. There have been 289 flu-related deaths recorded between the 1st of January and the 14th of December 2025, compared with 198 deaths during the same period last year.

The 2025 influenza season has been marked by a prolonged peak and a slower decline in case numbers when compared with 2023 and 2024. Health officials say this reflects year-to-year variability influenced by circulating virus strains, environmental and behavioural factors such as increased social gatherings, and population immunity shaped by previous infections and vaccine uptake.

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Residents are encouraged to get vaccinated against influenza to protect themselves and vulnerable loved ones. Photo source: Unsplash

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