The flu turned up late this year. It's not too late to do something about it.

Australia's flu season has run on a strange clock in 2026. Cases climbed later than usual almost everywhere, and in some states they're still climbing now, in the back half of September, at a point in the year when we'd normally be talking about how it's all winding down.

The Australian Centre for Disease Control says the national peak is close, with case growth slowing over recent weeks. But close to the peak is not the same as over, and the picture is patchy. Victoria's cases rose roughly 400% across seven weeks, with emergency departments seeing about a quarter more acute respiratory infections than usual, mostly in children. Queensland's rise started in early September. Here in New South Wales, numbers have come down from their late-August and early-September uptick but remain higher than we'd like.

There is good news in the numbers. Laboratory-confirmed cases across the country are substantially lower than at the same point in 2025 — and 2025 was the worst influenza year this century, with more than 1,700 deaths. This year's vaccine also covers the strain that drove the second wave last year, which is part of why the overall season has been milder.

Why a late season matters

When flu arrives late, two things tend to happen.

The first is that people assume they've got away with it. By September most of us have stopped thinking about winter illness. School holidays, warmer weather, the first decent beach days — flu drops off the list of things to worry about. That's exactly when a late wave finds the people who never got around to the vaccine.

The second is that immunity from an early vaccination is now several months old. If you had your flu shot in March or April, protection has waned somewhat. That matters most if you're in a higher-risk group.

Is it too late to get vaccinated?

No. Dr Michael Wright, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, put it plainly this month: there may still be another peak coming, and it's not too late to get your flu vaccine.

The vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effect, so the sooner the better — but September is not too late, particularly if you haven't had one at all this year.

You should be especially motivated to get it if you:

• are 65 or over

• are pregnant

• have a chronic condition — heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or a condition or medication that suppresses your immune system

• are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

• have a child between six months and five years old

• live or work with any of the above

For most of these groups the vaccine is free under the National Immunisation Program.

We're not open yet — here's what to do in the meantime

Remedy Medical opens on Monday 2 November. If you need a flu vaccine before then, please don't wait for us. See your current GP, or a pharmacist — most community pharmacies vaccinate people from five years of age, and many can do it without an appointment.

If you're unwell right now with fever, aches, cough and exhaustion that came on suddenly, that's worth a doctor's opinion rather than a wait-and-see. Antiviral treatment works best when it's started early, and it's most useful in exactly the higher-risk groups listed above.

When we open

From 2 November we'll be running immunisations as part of everyday care, and our practice nurse will be doing a lot of that work. If you'd like to be on our books before then, you can book your first appointment online now for any date from 2 November.

Flu will be mostly behind us by then. The habit of staying up to date won't be.

General information only. It isn't a substitute for advice about your own situation — if you're unsure whether the flu vaccine is right for you, ask your GP or pharmacist.