Declining vaccination rates and complacency are contributing to a rise in mortality from influenza. (Con Chronis/AAP PHOTOS)

More people are dying from flu than COVID-19 in Australia in a disturbing turning point for the nation’s health.

The figures have prompted one of the country’s top doctors to urge people to be vigilant against rising vaccine complacency, saying it was a wake-up call.

“This highlights the need for Australians to get the flu vaccine, particularly those at higher risk of complications,” president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Michael Wright, told AAP.

“If fewer people receive the influenza vaccination, more people end up getting sick.”

Declining vaccination rates and complacency about a virus previously feared are all contributing to the rise in mortality from influenza.

In August 2025, 265 people in Australia died from or with influenza compared to just 195 deaths associated with COVID-19, according to official data released on Thursday.

It was the first month influenza was more deadly than COVID-19 since February 2020, before anyone in Australia had died from the coronavirus in the pandemic.

This year’s flu season also produced a record number of cases with more than 410,000 lab-confirmed cases reported.

Children have disproportionately felt the brunt of the rising flu wave with more than 10 per cent of Australia’s infections occurring in children under five.

“This year’s record flu cases come at the same time as lower, or flat, vaccination rates,” Dr Wright said.

“It’s a wake-up call.”

Only a quarter of children under five were given a flu shot in 2025 while rates for older people most at risk from the flu are also slipping.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics also found deaths from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have risen compared to the previous two years while COVID deaths are decreasing.

While there may be a link between a drop in flu vaccination rates and misinformation around COVID vaccines, Dr Wright says it is more important to reverse the decline than determine what caused it.

“There’s the notion of ‘vaccine fatigue’ … but we should focus on what we can do to ensure as many people as possible are as well-protected as possible,” he said.

“The influenza vaccine is very safe, but if you do have questions or concerns about vaccination, speak to your GP.”

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