More than 650 Victorians hospitalised and scores dead amid worst epidemic in years

MORE than 650 Victorians have been admitted with the flu to our major hospitals — with 9 per cent so severe they were put in intensive care.

A nurse giving a little boy a shot as he sits in the doctors office on an examining table.

MORE than 650 Victorians have been admitted with the flu to our major hospitals — with 9 per cent so severe they were put in intensive care.

Health authorities have revealed 654 laboratory-confirmed influenza admissions to The Alfred, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Monash Medical Centre and University Hospital Geelong, as they continue to battle one of the worst flu seasons in recent years.

Intensive care admissions have almost doubled from 5 per cent on last year’s season.

And fears continue it could worsen as more cases present daily, authorities warned.

More than 95 deaths have been recorded in Victoria from the flu this year.

But Department of Health and Human Services spokesman Bram Alexander said total influenza statistics from across the state, would not be known until later next month.

“Preliminary information from our major hospitals indicates that influenza-related ICU admissions this season make up 9 per cent of all patients admitted for influenza treatment,” Mr Alexander said.

The figures come after 8-year-old Rosie Andersen died earlier this month, after being sick for only a few days.

Rosie Andersen who has died of a flu in Melbourne. Source: Supplied

She was unvaccinated and her father issued a call for parents to immunise children.

Sarah Hawthorn, 33, a fit and healthy mum, on Saturday night remained in an induced coma after contracting flu while pregnant, giving birth to her son.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said medical staff were working hard to tackle the particularly bad flu season.

Sarah Hawthorn (far right), 33, from Cobram, who is fighting for life in hospital after getting the flu.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy Picture: James Ross.

New South Wales is battling a similar epidemic amid warnings a mutant flu strain has filled hospital beds up and down the east coast claiming the lives of 300 elderly residents.

Australia is still in the grip of its worst flu season on record and now a mutated influenza A/H3N2 strain has been identified as responsible for most of the deaths, even though it was included in this year’s flu vaccine.

Experts stressed it showed getting the vaccine was more important than ever.

Early indications are the virus strain changed between manufacture and release.

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