In the past few weeks, there has been an increase in the number of Australians travelling overseas to the United States, where they are being treated for flu-related illnesses.
The Federal Government is now reviewing the health of Australians visiting other countries and is looking to close some gaps in its system.
But the number travelling to the US is still a small fraction of the number who are expected to visit Australia in the coming months.
Dr Tom O’Brien, chief executive of the Australian Medical Association, says that the increase in Australians travelling to America is an issue that has to be taken into account in future.
“The reason why we’ve seen this is the flu virus has been here for so long and is spreading in such a way that the Australians who are coming to America are not necessarily being properly screened and have not been vaccinated,” he said.
While Australia is not at the peak of the flu season, the country has seen an increase of about 300,000 visitors this year.
In 2018, there were about 2.2 million Australians visiting the US.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu vaccinations are available for all Australians, but some travel overseas to get the vaccine before returning home.
Australia has seen a number of incidents where people have travelled abroad to the USA, and this could be part of the reason for the increase. AAP/ABC
