Illawarra residents should brace themselves for a nasty flu season after a deadly strain led to a spike in hospitalisations and associated deaths in the United States.
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The 2015 flu vaccine has finally reached doctors' surgeries in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, after a month's delay nationwide to allow manufacturers to adapt the formula to protect against the killer strain.
Shell Cove Family Health's Dr Eniko Ujvary said this year's vaccine had needed a double strain change from the 2014 vaccine to give as much protection as possible.
"The H3N2 influenza virus caused the more severe morbidity [incidence of illness] and mortality [number of deaths] in the northern hemisphere [this year]," she said.
"There's a possibility that there will be a similar severe flu outbreak here so the vaccine has been modified to better protect against the particular strains that have been dominant overseas and that we are now expecting here."
The 2015 vaccine contains three virus strains including two influenza A viruses (H3N2 or A/Switzerland and H1N1 or A/California) and an influenza B strain known as B/Phuket.
"The country refers to the geographical origin of where these strains first originated," Dr Ujvary said.
In the US the predominance of H3N2 viruses caused significant illness in the elderly in 2014-15, with the flu-associated hospitalisation rate among the over 65s the highest in more than a decade.
Children under four had the second highest hospitalisation rate for flu in the US during its flu season which is now coming to a close. Dr Ujvary said flu activity was starting in Australia, although the main flu season occurred during the winter months.
She said Australians at risk of serious complications - including those aged 65-plus and pregnant women - could take advantage of the free flu shots available.
Adults and children (aged over six months) with medical conditions including cardiac disease; chronic respiratory conditions; impaired immunity and other chronic diseases were also eligible for free jabs.
"I'd also highly recommend the vaccine for anyone who is frequently in contact with people who are at a higher risk of influenza complications - such as healthcare and aged care workers," Dr Ujvary said.
