The winter influenza season in Australia has arrived late, but the government in New South Wales has announced that the disease is there now, prompting officials to urge the public to obtain flu vaccinations immediately, given that it takes two weeks for the vaccine to have its full immunological effect. Dr. Jeremy McAnulty, the director of communicable diseases for New South Wales, says that while there was a strong upturn in flu cases in July, "I don't think we are at the peak yet. We are on the rapid rise."