Aged care workers to get mandatory flu jab

Aged care workers in Australia should get compulsory flu vaccines following a spate of deaths in nursing homes, federal health minister Greg Hunt announced.

"The Commonwealth will move in conjunction with the states and authorities and the Council of the Ageing to ensure that all aged care workers are given flu vaccines before next year's flu season," Mr Hunt said on Sunday.

The announcement came on Sunday after six residents of a Tasmanian nursing home died and seven residents at a Victorian aged care home died in the two weeks up to Wednesday.

He said the compulsory vaccinations were a first for the country.

"It has never happened in Australia, during the period while the flu vaccines have been available," the minister said.

There was a 20 day delay between the Victorian Health Department notifying the Commonwealth about the situation, the minister said.

The outbreak in Victoria killed seven people aged between 70 to 94 at St John's Retirement Village in Wangaratta between August 16 to 30.

The federal government was told of the outbreak because "a significant number of deaths had occurred", a Victorian health department spokesman said about the notification delay.

"There is no requirement for states to notify the Commonwealth of deaths. This is responsibility of the facility," a health department spokesman said in a statement on Sunday.

Healthcare workers were expected to be vaccinated, which was provided for free to staff, the spokesman said.

A dozen residents at the Wangaratta home are still ill at the centre and one remains in a critical condition.

Vaccination rates within the two impacted care homes would be examined by federal aged care minister, Ken Wyatt.

In Tasmania, Uniting Agewell Confirmed six residents died because of an influenza outbreak at the Strathdevon aged care facility at Latrobe between August 9 and 16.

"It has been the worst flu season witnessed across Australia and a very difficult time for people in aged care," acting chief executive Graeme Barnes said in a statement.

Mr Barnes said the facility was cleared of the illness on August 30.

The move for aged care workers to be immunised was welcomed by the Immunisation Coalition.

"We are excited about the announcement ... it will be a major improvement to the lives of elderly people in care homes" chairman Paul Van Buynder told AAP.

All workers who come into contact with elderly patients, including people who delivered the meals, should be vaccinated against the flu, he said.

"We believe that it should be everybody who works directly with the elderly at care homes, like nurses and people who give food and medicine, should be vaccinated," Mr Van Buynder said.