It's not yet peak flu season - which is typically from July to September - yet cases are already on the rise in the Illawarra, and across the country according to NSW Health data.

So far this year there's been 212 confirmed flu cases throughout the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District - more than double the 91 cases recorded from January to March last year.

The 2017 flu season was one of the worst on record - yet there were only 139 reported cases in the local health district in the first three months of that year.

Mr Iqbal is a member of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia which on Thursday issued a timely reminder to the public to get vaccinated.

"The flu vaccination is an annual vaccination and it's the best prevention against the virus," he said. "It doesn't just infect older people or those with chronic conditions, it can affect fit, healthy, young people too.

"Now is the best time to talk to your GP or your pharmacist so the vaccine is in your system and working by the time we get to winter, which is the worst time for flu."

Mr Iqbal, who owns Convenience Chemist in Crown Street, said last year's flu season saw just a fraction of the confirmed flu cases compared with 2017.

"That was primarily due to the significantly higher flu vaccination rates in 2018," he said. "Our concern is that because we had a far milder flu season last year, compared to the horrific 2017 season, people will have become complacent."

Read more: Flu outbreak at Illawarra aged care centres sparks health alert

Last year's high vaccination rates caused a nationwide shortage of the flu vaccine. This year, Mr Iqbal said stocks would have been increased to cater for demand.

"Currently there's a plentiful supply of the 2019 flu vaccine, which is a quadrivalent vaccine meaning it covers four flu strains - two A strains and two B strains," he said.

"It has been updated this year based on the northern hemisphere flu season.

"It's also important to note that the flu vaccine is an inactivated vaccine, which means you cannot get the flu from it although you can get a bit of localised soreness.

"It doesn't protect you from getting a runny nose or a cough through winter, but it does prevent you contracting different strains of influenza."

Australia-wide there's been 19,000 confirmed cases this year; with NSW leading the states and territories with 6395 cases.

According to the Pharmacy Guild, around 5800 Australian adults were hospitalised with the flu last year.

"By having the vaccine you're up to 60 per cent less likely to get the infection," Mr Iqbal said.

"And we know that those who are vaccinated and still get the flu have less severe symptoms and are less likely to be hospitalised or suffer complications.

"Vaccination reduces the spread of the flu virus by building herd or community immunity."

Trained community pharmacists in all states and territories were permitted to administer flu shots in pharmacy in 2017.

Meantime certain groups - including the over 65s, pregnant women and children under five years - are eligible for free flu jabs at their GP.