Acute respiratory infections (ARI) - get ready and be prepared

Advice for all Queenslanders for ARI prevention

• Get your FREE vaccinations in 2024 for influenza, and RSV and COVID-19 - if you are eligible
• Stay at home when you are sick (including keeping sick children home from school or childcare)
• Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub
• If you need to leave the house while unwell, maintain physical distance from others and consider wearing a mask when you cannot physically distance
• Practice good respiratory hygiene by: coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the inside of your elbow, discarding used tissues immediately in a bin, and cleaning your hands thoroughly
• Clean frequently touched surfaces such as door handles, tapware, tabletops, remote controls, mobile devices (e.g., phones, laptops etc), benchtops and fridge doors and clean your hands after cleaning
• Ensure good ventilation by opening windows and doors and spending time outside in the fresh air each day

Hot tips for general practice and primary care infection prevention and control

• Implement screening and triage procedures for individuals presenting to clinics / health centres with ARI signs and symptoms
• Post signage reminding patients of ARI prevention messages
• Segregate symptomatic patients (consider designated respiratory clinic times to protect vulnerable patients) and provide masks for symptomatic patients
• Utilise outdoor consultation/telehealth/home visit options where appropriate
• Coordinate appointments for vulnerable patients to allow for multiple clinician consultations in one visit during lower activity times
• Check that the air handling in your facility is functioning efficiently, consider air purifiers and consulting with a heating, ventilation and cooling system specialist
• Ensure adequate PPE and hand hygiene stations for staff
• Consider reception counter protective screens, floor signage (“stand here”), barriers and other environmental controls to protect your workforce
• Clean and disinfect high touch surfaces frequently, implement cleaning protocols
• Clean shared equipment (including toys) between patients
• For clinicians working in hospital settings, please refer to the Queensland Health Acute Respiratory Infection Prevention and Control Guideline and your infection prevention and control team

Vaccinate early – be prepared for the ARI season

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs), including influenza (flu), COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), result in significant disruption to communities and organisations throughout the winter period. Severe disease occurs across all age groups, including in otherwise healthy babies, children, and adults. The influenza vaccine is free for everyone 6 months and over in 

Queensland, and should be prioritised for at risk groups, including:

• First Nations people aged 6 months and over
• Children aged 6 months to under 5 years
• Pregnant people at any stage of pregnancy
• People aged 65 years or over
• People aged 6 months or over who have medical conditions that mean they have a higher risk of getting serious disease

Vaccination remains one of the most important measures to protect those at risk of severe disease from COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccines remain funded for all individuals. 

Adults more than 18 years without severe immunocompromise who have not previously received a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended a single primary dose.

COVID-19 vaccination is also recommended for children aged 6 months to less than 18 years with medical conditions that may increase their risk of severe disease or death
from COVID-19.

Important information is contained in the COVID-19 chapter of the Australian Immunisation Handbook. For more information see the COVID-19 vaccine advice and recommendations for 2024.

Queensland Health will provide free RSV immunisation to eligible Queensland infants and young children commencing from 15 April 2024 in birthing hospitals and 29 April 2024 in
primary care. For more information see the Queensland Paediatric Respiratory Syncytial Virus Prevention Program.

Weekly surveillance reports for influenza, RSV and COVID-19 can be accessed at: Acute respiratory infection surveillance reporting.