Global study flags widespread antibiotic overuse
A study published in The Lancet Public Health found that nearly three-quarters of 67 countries analysed were using more antibiotics overall than needed, and almost every country (99%) prescribed too many Watch antibiotics — the category most associated with antimicrobial resistance. The research, led by City St George's, University of London and the University of Oxford, built the first global framework for estimating how many and which antibiotics each country needs to treat its infection burden. The team calculated that around 4 billion days of antibiotics, averaging roughly one course per person per year, would meet global bacterial infection needs, with 70% of that use being Access-category drugs. Sixty percent of countries were still prescribing antibiotics that the World Health Organization considers should no longer be used. At the same time, 42% of countries used fewer Access antibiotics than estimated optimal levels, and 52% did not use enough Reserve antibiotics for life-threatening resistant infections, raising concerns that patients with highly resistant infections may not be receiving the specific treatments they need.
Western Australia ends free flu program below its targets
Western Australia's free flu vaccination program ended on July 31 with immunisation rates still well short of the government's pre-season targets. The targets included 40% of the state's overall population, 30% of children aged six months to under 12 years, and 65% of people aged 65 and over. According to the most recent data, issued on Monday, the state was still well short of its ambitions. Coverage among seniors came closest to target, falling just over six percentage points short, while children aged six months to 12 years were about 6.5 points off. The general population lagged furthest, with just 28% of West Australians vaccinated. A WA government spokesperson said more than 860,000 Western Australians had received an influenza vaccination as of July 26, and that influenza notifications and hospitalisations were lower than the previous five-year average.
Flu eases but RSV rises in Western Australia
This year's flu season in Western Australia appears less severe than 2025, with about 5,340 cases reported to WA Health between January and June — roughly a third of the 16,495 infections recorded over the same period last year. RSV, however, has risen, with 6,658 cases reported so far in 2026 compared to 6,242 in 2025. The spokesperson said RSV notifications and hospitalisations were higher year-on-year, and urged parents of infants, pregnant women and people over 75 to take up the free RSV vaccine. More than 100,000 West Australians have accessed the free RSV vaccination this year, up from 20,156 in 2025. The government also pointed to a needle-free FluMist option for children, pop-up clinics and expanded pharmacy access as measures that had made vaccination more accessible.
Hospital pressure and political response
Ambulance ramping in Western Australia rose compared with the previous month, with ambulances spending 5,924 hours parked outside hospitals waiting to transfer patients, though that figure was lower than both July 2024 and July 2025. Opposition health spokesperson Libby Mettam said she was not surprised the government had fallen short, and criticised it for not introducing the flu vaccination earlier to give residents more options. The state government framed its more than A$100 million flu-season preparedness plan, which included paying for beds in private hospitals, as evidence of preparation, while Professor Attwell said the government had done a "really good job" at trying to lift vaccination rates, including by making the vaccine free. The next verifiable measure of progress will be WA Health's subsequent vaccination and case reporting updates, alongside any national adoption of the Lancet study's framework for matching antibiotic use to public health need.
Share this article
