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Jabs urged as flu bites hard

The flu has hit WA hard.

The flu has started its march into WA with almost 50 per cent more reported cases compared with last year and more patients seeking treatment for flu-like illness.

The WA Health Department said 876 cases had been reported in WA so far this year, compared with 608 cases at the same time last year and 405 cases in 2013.

GPs and hospital emergency departments were starting to see more flu.

The dominant strain was influenza A H3N2, responsible for most of the serious illness in the last northern hemisphere winter.

A spokesman said the number of cases this year reflected higher but relatively steady baseline numbers of cases detected over the first half of the year and could also be linked partly to more people being tested.

"Some indicators of influenza and other respiratory virus activity in the community, including notifications of laboratory confirmed cases and the number of people with flu-like illnesses attending GPs and hospital emergency departments, may now be showing very early signs of an increase in WA," he said.

"However, there are clearer signs of a start to the winter influenza season in the Eastern States."

More than 8300 flu cases have been reported nationally, compared with 6225 at the same time last year, with a recent surge in South Australia where the elderly have been among the worst affected.

Laboratory testing is usually done in only very sick patients, so reported cases are believed to represent less than 5 per cent of actual flu levels in the community.

WA tends to get flu activity several weeks after the Eastern States.

The department said it was still difficult to predict how severe the flu season would be but it appeared this year's vaccine was well-matched to the viruses that were circulating in Australia.

"Now is a good time for people who have not yet had this year's flu vaccine to see their doctor, especially those people who are more at risk of more severe illness," the spokesman said.

"This includes the elderly, young children and those with chronic illnesses."

Australia's Influenza Specialist Group said it was not too late to have the vaccine because the peak of flu illnesses did not usually hit until August and it took two to three weeks to build up immunity after a flu shot.