The head of Queensland's medical association has urged people to get vaccinated against the flu as the state endures one of its worst ever seasons.
Australian Medical Association Queensland president Dr Bill Boyd says the season could still have "many weeks to run", even though winter is almost over.
"The vaccine takes two to three weeks to reach maximum effectiveness and the season has yet to reach its peak, so get a flu jab if you haven't already," he said in a statement on Friday.
"The vaccine is free for the over-65s, pregnant women and patients with specific medical conditions, including cardiac disease, diabetes and chronic respiratory conditions."
Dr Boyd's request followed news on Thursday that 14,455 Queenslanders have been diagnosed with influenza since January.
More than 3500 of those became sick in the past week.
Dr Boyd said the total number of Queenslanders who had been struck down with the flu would "far exceed" the official numbers recorded.
Dr Boyd said while most people would recover after a few days' rest, others could become seriously ill.
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