The Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD), which provides health services in the Bathurst, Orange and Dubbo local government areas, said it has had its mildest flu season since 2013.

The local health authority reported 199 confirmed influenza cases in 2018 compared with 2926 in 2017 – a decline of 93 per cent.

WNSWLHD co-ordinator of communicable diseases control, Priscilla Stanley, said there were a number of reasons for the change.

“Several factors are likely to have contributed to a milder flu season this year, in the efforts of the community who responded early to the call to be vaccinated and in greater numbers,” she said.

“There was a 50 per cent increase in requests for flu vaccines across NSW and the vaccine this year was a better match to the main flu strains, predominantly influenza A(H1N1).

“Winter plans for hospitals across the Local Health District included allocating additional resources during periods of high demand, providing free flu vaccinations for front-line staff and promoting good hygiene practices that help fight the spread of flu.”

Overall, the total influenza cases in the state came down from 101,027 in 2017 to 15,022 in 2018 and the number of deaths also fell from 661 to 31 for the same period. 

These cases were reported between January 1 and October 17.

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NSW director of communicable diseases, Vicky Sheppeard, said NSW avoided repeating the brutal flu season experienced in 2017.

“The latest data shows that less than five per cent of swab tests taken in the last week found flu virus, which is the threshold used to mark the beginning and end of the flu season,” Dr Sheppeard said.

“The season began in the first week of August and lasted nine weeks, peaking in the first week of September.”