You're not imagining it. There's a reason everyone really is sicker this winter.

Not sure about you, but every single person I know has been sick this winter.

I'm hearing the same sentiment everywhere, from the office kitchen to the foyer at daycare pickup.

It's worse this year, right? It really feels like it's worse this year. 

It seems like every day, there's an all-staff email and/or childcare notification flagging yet another poor soul who's gone down with that chest infection or stomach flu doing the rounds.

Absences are so rampant at daycare that when I say "see you tomorrow!", other parents laugh and shrug in response. Let's hope so. 

If you, too, feel like more people have been getting, and staying, sick in 2025, you're not alone.

Doctors have noticed it too.

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It's hard to assess "illness" as a whole, but let's take the flu - everyone's favourite winter pal - as an example.

This year alone, there have been more than 230,000 cases of lab-confirmed influenza in Australia.

That's compared to a total of 233,000 cases in 2022, and 289,000 in 2023. And GPs predict the actual number of affected Australians is much, much higher.

"All our data is likely to underestimate the actual amount of influenza in the community, as a significant number of people will never be tested," GP Dr. Melanie Conroy told Mamamia. 

Flu season comes around every year, so why does this year appear to have hit us harder? 

Lower vaccination rates.

A recent survey from Finder revealed more than half of Australians haven't had a COVID booster or a flu vaccine this year.

That tracks with data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, which indicates only 20% of Australians between 15 and 50 have had a flu vax this year, down from 39.2% back in 2020. 

Most people in that age group accept that vaccination works to prevent serious illness, and the evidence backs them up: vaccinated people are roughly 55% less likely to see a GP or be hospitalised with influenza than unvaccinated people. 

But if that's the case, why aren't more of us vaccinating?

The answer, Dr. Conroy says, could be complicated. 

"The reasons for decline in vaccination rates are numerous, including safety concerns, increasing misinformation and out of pocket costs,."

"I think it's very easy for people to underestimate the risk, or turn a blind eye thinking 'it would never be me or my family who become seriously ill or hospitalised'." 

It's also possible Australians are experiencing "vaccination fatigue" after having multiple COVID-19 shots during the pandemic.

A study by the Australian Immunisation Coalition showed 82% of GPs believe the public are more informed of the benefits of vaccination since the pandemic, but that the pandemic has caused "vaccination fatigue, hesitancy and disengagement", which is impacting vaccination rates. 

The same study showed only 45% of parents surveyed were aware flu shots are recommended for kids under five, and that vaccination is free for kids under the National Immunisation Program. 

"We saw a real boost in vaccination rates during the pandemic and directly afterwards, but they are now dropping. Unfortunately, this has been directly reflected with a significant increase in both hospitalisations and influenza-related deaths since 2023," says Dr. Conroy. 

"Vaccination remains the most effective tool we have to reduce severity and duration of illness for individuals, as well as hospitalisation and deaths on a population basis." 

The push to get back to the office.

A survey conducted by KPMG in late 2024 found 83% of CEOs want their staff back in the office.

After a number of years where working-from-home and hybrid models of work were the status quo, the push by businesses to get employees back in the office might also be contributing to higher levels of illness this year.

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Dr Conroy adds, "Straight after the pandemic, people were more likely to work from home, wear a mask, or take a sick day for flu-like symptoms."

If workers feel they're expected to be in the office, and there's no wiggle room to work from home for a tickle in the throat or a runny nose, then more people will be coming into the office despite being unwell and infecting others. 

Anecdotally, commuters have noticed "waves" of illness that seem to pass through teams at work, rendering one or more employees incapacitated.

The knock-on effect? Their colleagues have to pick up the slack, and become more vulnerable to falling sick themselves. 

So, what can you do to stay well?

The irony is, we all know how to prevent the spread of infectious diseases thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, even if we'd rather forget it.

Staying home, masking and practising good hand hygiene are still the best ways to avoid getting sick and transmitting illness.

And of course, it's not too late in the season to protect yourself with a COVID booster and a flu vaccine. 

The remainder of the health advice is just as straightforward.

There's no magic bullet to avoid falling sick.

Getting enough sleep, managing your stress, consuming alcohol in moderation and eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals are all recommended. 

Apart from that? Stay safe out there, friends!

Feature Image: Getty.