Aged-care homes must offer staff flu jab

Aged-care facilities will be required to offer the flu jab to all staff to prevent a recurrence of last year's horror outbreak.

More than 1100 people died of influenza-related illnesses in 2017 with the majority of them aged 65 or older.

Today, Health Minister Greg Hunt and Aged Care Minister Ken Wyatt announced the government will make it mandatory for "every aged-care provider to offer the flu vaccine to every single worker".

Mr Wyatt said he was not concerned about those who refused to get the flu jab.

“There will be some individuals who will take a stand, but then again, that is up to the provider to make a decision in respect to that individual ... they can move staff to other locations," he told reporters in Perth.

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Asked what right the government had to tell workers they must get the vaccine, Mr Wyatt replied: "What right does a senior, frail Australian have to be protected from someone who chooses not to (get the vaccine) and then ends up with a virulent flu that then causes their death?"

A national review has found a correlation between low vaccination rates among staff and a higher incidence of the flu in aged-care homes.

Hall & Prior Health and Aged Care Group corporate services manager Daniel Hitchcock said staff at the Tuohy facility in suburban Perth had been educated about the importance of getting the vaccine for almost 20 years.

“If they don't have the vaccine, they'll have to stand down from work if there is an outbreak," he told reporters.

“We are outbreak-free at Tuohy since the program commenced."

Mr Hunt said the government had made two new flu vaccines available free of charge to more than three million Australians aged 65 years and over.

“Today, we are taking further steps to ensure those seniors are protected even more, ahead of this year's flu season," he said.

With AAP.