Earlier this month, pharmacies across Australia ran out of vaccines amid record demand, with the federal health department ordering manufacturer Sanofi to release extra doses.

Gateway Health primary care manager Joelle Hill-Uebergang said the service had not experienced any supply shortages, but had seen a severe increase in the amount of people wanting to be vaccinated.

"We've seen a dramatic rise," she said. "Between the two sites at Wodonga and Wangaratta we administered 950 flu shots last year, this year it's up to 3000 already."

Miss Hill-Uebergang anticipates that the demand for the vaccine will taper off, as most people prefer to be vaccinated early in the season.

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Already this year there have been 85,312 confirmed cases of influenza nationally resulting in 177 deaths, compared to the five year average of 12,036 cases and 37 deaths.

Last week, Albury-Wodonga Health revealed that ten people had already tested positive for influenza since the start of May this year, compared to zero in the same time last year.

The service's emergency departments had both seen an increase in presentations.

A spokesman for the federal health department said 826,605 additional doses of the influenza vaccine had been brought into the country by manufacturer Sanofi for the private market and would be distributed.

Miss Hill-Uebergang said people want to get vaccinated as they want to protect those around them and seem aware of the importance of herd immunity.

"In the past people thought it was about protecting themselves, but now there's more awareness that it can affect the whole community," she said.

"That seems to be a bit more of a focus, not on you but on the fact you can spread into the community.

"People want to protect the most vulnerable in the community, particularly younger children and the elderly, so they get immunised."

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