Hospital admissions for the flu and respiratory illness more than doubled this year compared with last year - with babies and toddlers among the worst affected, a new study says.
Results from the third year of a five-year multimillion-dollar study also showed this year's flu season claimed four lives. There were no deaths last year.
The Southern Hemisphere Influenza and Vaccine Effectiveness Research and Surveillance (Shivers) study has been tracking patients admitted to Auckland District Health Board and Counties Manukau District Health Board hospitals with severe acute respiratory illness and those who went to their GP with flu symptoms.
Principal investigator Sue Huang said there were 109 patients admitted to the hospitals' intensive care units with influenza and respiratory illness this year, compared with 52 last year.