<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kids under five now have the highest rate of </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/influenza" rel="" target="" title="flu"><span>flu</span></a><span> per capita in </span><a href="http://www.9news.com.au/queensland" rel="" target="" title="Queensland"><span>Queensland</span></a><span> as cases surge across the state.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Since the start of the year, more than 440 children aged six months to four years have been hospitalised with flu, with 145 of those in the past month.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>School-aged children have the second-highest rate, with 34 children aged 5-17 hospitalised across the state in the last week alone, and 420 since the start of the year.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-surrogacy-reforms-mitchell-and-james-werent-able-to-pursue-starting-a-family-until-today/4429d2a7-a3aa-4a98-bc63-989e2fd89c38" target="_blank"><strong><span>Mitchell and James are ready to start a family. Until now, one state wouldn't let them</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr Catherine McDougall said kids are not only more likely to catch and spread influenza, but they're also vulnerable to serious illness.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"I want to support parents to prioritise the health of their kids and encourage vaccination as the best way to avoid serious illness and hospitalisation," McDougall said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Children aged over six months are eligible to be vaccinated, but unfortunately, we're seeing many children who are not vaccinated being hospitalised."</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-flu-spike-kids-have-highest-rate-of-flu-per-capita-as-cases-soar-health-news/0d4a4cdd-3b38-44bb-9dbe-690f171658f9" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A flu vaccine during pregnancy will also help to protect babies in the first six months of life, before they can be vaccinated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/police-arrest-19-people-over-alleged-melbourne-retail-theft-syndicate/ad718479-3b99-4339-8f2e-2e731c3235c7" target="_blank"><strong><span>$10 million shoplifting syndicate smashed in sweeping raids</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Queensland Health data shows there have been 53,572 cases of flu this year to date, with 88 per cent of cases not vaccinated.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Just less than 30 per cent of Queenslanders have received a flu vaccination this year - the lowest in the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>McDougall said although winter is almost over, it's not too late to get vaccinated for both flu and COVID-19.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Flu cases and hospitalisations spiked this time last year, so cases and hospitalisations have the potential to continue rising in coming weeks," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>More than 240 hospital beds are currently occupied by patients with flu across the state each day and 118 people have died from flu in the state this year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The vaccination reminder come days after </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-premier-david-crisafulli-deputy-premier-jarrod-bleijie-will-not-confirm-if-they-have-had-flu-vaccination-health-news/a2fc7471-f4ec-48d0-a7f4-f4f583ac0832" rel="" target="" title="Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie refused to confirm if they had received a flu vaccination"><span>Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie refused to confirm if they had received a flu vaccination</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Both leaders said that information was to stay between them and their doctor.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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