Australian Medical Association Victoria president Lorraine Baker told The Border Mail people might see any annual vaccinations offered by workplaces as optional.

“Whereas we would say, please, if you get the opportunity to have a flu vaccine, take it,” she said.

“Influenza can kill, it also causes significant disability at the time that you’re unwell.

“If you are a relatively healthy person and you can ride out the flu well, that doesn’t mean you can’t transmit it to people who are vulnerable to it and who may not have been able to be vaccinated. You’re protecting yourself and you’re doing a good thing for the community if you get it done.” 

This week an eighth resident died at St John’s Retirement Village, Wangaratta, after a flu virus outbreak affected 123 people out of 146 residents and 200 staff.

Dr Baker, while not commenting specifically on those patients, said older people often had underlying problems, such as in their heart, lungs, kidneys or liver.

“In which case, if the virus causes increased stress on those organs they will fail absolutely and kill you, there’s no reserve,” she said.

“Influenza in and of itself is a tricky group of viruses.”

The president said immunity from the vaccine peaked within a month and started to wane at four to six months.

“Part of that is due to the fact the virus can mutate in very, very subtle ways very quickly and so can penetrate, if you like, the immune response that’s been created by a vaccine,” she said.

A different influenza vaccine is formulated each year, covering the most common types in the community.

“It provides good immunity to some people, but unfortunately we can’t pick who has a good immune response and who hasn’t,” Dr Baker said.

She advised people who hadn’t been immunised this year to discuss with their GP whether they should have the flu vaccine now.