Fresh call for Australians to get flu jabs

Australians are being urged to get the latest vaccination against the flu, as new figures show almost one in 10 people hospitalised with the infection in 2018 were admitted to intensive care.

About 5800 adults went to hospital with the virus last year and 9.4 per cent of those aged below 65 needed treatment in the critical care unit.

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia is raising the alarm about the figures, with 19,000 flu cases already reported in 2019.

Vice-president of the guild's NSW branch Caroline Diamantis says vaccination offers protection against the most common circulating strains.

But it also means people are less likely to wind up in the ICU if they are hospitalised.

"There still remains, however, a level of complacency within the community with regard to annual flu vaccination," she said.

One in four people mistakenly believe they don't need a flu shot because the virus won't strike them, she said.