H1N1 2009 pandemic influenza in Indigenous Australians

Abstract

Given the known prevalence of chronic disease in the Australian Indigenous population, and the known risk factors for severe disease from influenza infection, it is not surprising that Indigenous Australians carried a higher burden of disease during the influenza pandemic of 2009. However, other determinants apart from comorbidities might also have affected influenza morbidity in Indigenous Australia. Factors such as overcrowding, sanitation infrastructure, remoteness, access to health care and availability of the specific hardware of the pandemic (such as personal protective equipment – PPE– and antivirals) may also have been risk factors for poor outcomes at the population level. This article summarises the impact of the 2009 influenza pandemic on Australia’s Indigenous population, with particular emphasis on those living remotely in the Northern Territory (NT).