INFLUENZA cases are raging across the Gold Coast and health professionals are urging residents to be immunised.

Queensland Health influenza notifications from January 1 through to July 4 in 2010 and 2011 show there has been a significant increase.

According to the information there have been 175 notifications in this period on the Gold Coast compared with 43 notifications in the same period last year.

Queensland Health chief health officer Dr Jeannette Young said it was not too late for residents to get the influenza vaccine.

“There has been a higher than usual level of influenza cases so far this year and we are not yet half way through winter,” Dr Young said.

“Vaccination is the best protection against this disease.”

Northern NSW Local Health District assistant director Dr Greg Bell said the Tweed region has seen a high number of influenza and gastro cases but no more than any other year.

“There has been no strain put on the hospital system and we are urging people to receive the flu vaccination,” Dr Bell said.

Tweed Valley General Practice Network member Dr Doug Warne said the only way to stop the spread of influenza was for people with the virus to stay at home and avoid spreading the illness.

“The most important thing is to have the flu vaccine,” Dr Warne said.

There have already been 2838 notifications of influenza in Queensland this year, compared with 465 over the same period in 2010.

NSW has seen 313 people suffering influenza-like illness in June compared with 197 for the same month last year.