Melbourne dad dies from flu complications

A young Melbourne dad has died from flu complications on his first Father's Day with his infant son.

Bacchus Marsh dad Ben Ihlow, 30, passed away on Sunday leaving behind his wife Samantha and son Andrew.

Ihlow has been described a "warm and generous man" on a crowdfunding page set up to raise monies for his family.

“He was a warm and generous man with a loving wife and young son who is yet to turn one,” a blurb on the fundraising page read.

Ihlow will be farewelled at a funeral tomorrow in Bacchus Marsh.

In a post to her Facebook page, his wife Samantha, shared a photo of Ihlow wearing a Batman shirt under what appears to be his grooms suit from their wedding day.

She asked that those attending her husband’s funeral to bring along photos or written stories to share on the day and to give Andrew “stories about his dad for years to come”.

Ihlow’s death comes after eight elderly residents died at a Wangaratta retirement centre, with more than 100 staff and residents sick from the highly contagious illness.

The current flu season has been one of Victoria's worst according to the health department, with more than 11,300 confirmed cases for 2017.

The federal government on Sunday announced it would make flu jabs mandatory for all aged care workers to combat the spread of the virus.