The number of notified influenza (flu) cases within Dubbo Regional Council boundaries this year has plummeted to seven as residents keep their distance because of COVID-19.
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At this time last year there were 66 cases.
The trend extends to the Western NSW Local Health District and the state.
There have been 64 cases in the health district this year as compared to 442 in the corresponding period in 2019.
In NSW, about 7200 people have been diagnosed with the flu compared with more than 15,000 at the same time last year.
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But a health district spokeswoman insists "we cannot compare the figures as we're in the middle of a pandemic".
She suggests the data represents the efforts taken to evade the coronavirus and has passed on NSW Health advice on flu vaccinations.
"NSW influenza levels are much lower than previous years likely due to social distancing measures, better hand hygiene and high levels of vaccination," she said.
"However, NSW Health still recommends vaccination against flu for people who have not been vaccinated."
NSW Influenza levels are much lower than previous years likely due to social distancing measures, better hand hygiene and high levels of vaccination.
- Western NSW Local Health District spokeswoman
NSW Health reports of distributing a record 2.8 million federally-supplied doses of flu vaccine across the state since March 30, almost one million more doses than distributed in the same period last year.
Free influenza vaccinations are available under the National Immunisation Program for people aged 65 years and over, pregnant women, Aboriginal people and those with at-risk medical conditions.
Children aged six months to under five years can get the free NSW-funded vaccine.
NSW Health says businesses such as pharmacies and general practices secure their own private supplies of influenza vaccine for patients not eligible for the National Immunisation Program.
NSW Health does not have "any oversight on private market supplies".
In early 2020 flu cases were rising in NSW, prompting warnings of another severe season.
In March, Dubbo Hospital's director of emergency medicine Dr Daniel Stewart told of an "unprecedented" flu season in 2019 factoring into about 6000 more patient presentations at its emergency department than in 2018.
The flu season peaks on average in August.
