COUGH, fever and respiratory illness rates are half what they would usually be at this time of year, but at the highest level since the pandemic, Flutracking data shows.
Flutracking.net founder Craig Dalton, of the University of Newcastle, said typically at this time of year, the rate of illness per week would be about 2 per cent.
"At the moment it is just under 1 per cent," Dr Dalton said. "But we've had it as low as 0.3 per cent during the pandemic, so it is definitely on the way up."
Dr Dalton said there were "thousands of tests" being done each week which were coming up with "zero flu" given Australia had lost the importation of influenza from the northern hemisphere.
But more infectious respiratory illnesses, such as the common cold, were beginning to circulate as we returned to an "almost normal level of mixing".
It comes as Lung Foundation Australia raised concerns about the slow uptake of the flu vaccine, with fears the importance of protecting against the virus had been lost among the focus on COVID-19 and vaccines.
