Flu deaths reach 25-year high

More than 1700 influenza-associated deaths were recorded in 2025, marking the highest number this century, the latest Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures on deaths due to acute respiratory infections reveal.
 
As flu cases continue to surpass records, and deaths climb higher than those from COVID-19, it adds weight to calls from health experts and policy makers to raise awareness and boost immunisation rates.
 
According to the ABS, 1701 deaths associated with influenza were recorded in 2025. These rates fell slightly in November 2025 before rising again in December, with levels ‘remaining well above usual’ for both months. This is compared to 1045 deaths in 2024 and 611 in 2023. 
 
Since August last year, there has been more flu-related deaths than those involving COVID-19.
 
GP and Chair of the Immunisation Coalition Dr Rod Pearce said these latest figures should act as a strong reminder of the risks associated with respiratory infections and for GPs to continue to ‘stay on top of it’.
 
‘The message is that flu still around, flu is dangerous,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘It’s a nasty disease that needs to be updated regularly because the strains change, and it’s different from COVID and from RSV – it’s a disease that stands on its own with its own fatalities.
 
‘We also need to drive awareness of influenza and exacerbating heart disease, reminding people that when you get the flu, you can have a heart attack. It can turn pre-existing illness into serious illness, and increased frailty is always part of flu.
 
‘It exacerbates all the other chronic illnesses that we as GPs look after.’
 
The ABS reports that across 2023 and 2025, COVID-19 was the leading cause of deaths relating to acute respiratory infection, but there was a sharp decline last year.
 
A total of 2161 deaths from COVID-19 were recorded in 2025, dropping from 5108 in 2024 and 6190 in 2023.
 
While deaths involving COVID-19 remain at ‘very low levels’ since November 2025, deaths involving influenza remain ‘unseasonably high’ and more than double that of COVID-19 for the same period, the ABS says, with 95 deaths in November and 119 in December.
 
In the more recent years with a high level of flu-related mortality, there were 1314 deaths in 2019 and 1656 deaths in 2017.
 
Dr Pearce believes a combination of complacency, vaccine hesitancy and uncertainty around infections are all playing a part in higher incidence reports and deaths.
 
‘Many people maybe thought after COVID they don’t need the vaccine, but you still need protection, and flu is changing, so we still need flu vaccines,’ he said.
 
‘There’s a bit of confusion between a COVID and RSV infection, so they may be unsure about getting vaccinated ... and some people don’t like vaccines so there’s also a bit of suspicion around.
 
‘There are hesitancy and uncertainty, then we also think there’s a slight disjunction between who gets the flu injection and who’s responsibility it is.
 
‘So, it’s a reminder to GPs to do their part, and they need to make sure people are getting their vaccines.’
 
As Australia witnesses a steady decline in vaccination coverage particularly among children, RACGP President Dr Michael Wright is calling for ongoing support for GPs’ vital role in driving coverage.
 
‘It’s scary to see so many people still dying from the flu,’ he told newsGP.
 
‘There’s a real challenge recognising that in general practice, vaccination is more than just jabbing people.
 
‘And with increased vaccine hesitancy it’s important educated health professionals are helping patients to know the value of vaccination, and there’s no better place to get your vaccine than with your GP.’
 
Nationwide efforts to boost vaccination rates such as the rollout of needle-less intranasal flu vaccines across some states is ‘a positive step’, Dr Wright says, particularly to increase child immunisation rates.
 
However, he holds significant concerns around expanded pharmacy vaccine programs.
 
‘It’s concerning that despite the increased availability of vaccines, there’s been some fragmentation in delivery,’ Dr Wright said.
 
‘Even as more pharmacies are doing it, the rates are still dropping.
 
‘But we really need to make sure that, as well as kids, older Australians and those with chronic health conditions are immunised.’
 
Dr Pearce echoes these concerns, and is currently leading an Immunisation Coalition project examining low areas of vaccination coverage.
 
‘We are developing pilot programs to look at a couple of age groups like those in nursing homes and childhood to see whether it is functional barriers or just complacency,’ he said.
 
‘We are intrigued in the under-fives, because we’ve now got for the first time intranasal vaccines, so we’re curious to say, is it that people are just naturally resistant, or is it the needle, or have people just lost the plot thinking that flu isn’t a nasty disease for children.
 
‘Our plan is to target those areas, then talk to the Federal Health Minister about possibly solving it.’
 
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Australia Bureau of Statistics COVID-19 flu flu deaths influenza respiratory infections vaccination vaccine hesitancy