THE devastating killer flu outbreak that swept America is headed to our shores and will claim lives, Australian doctors warn.

The H3N2 influenza virus that killed 20 children in the US and led to vaccine shortages across the country in December and January is expected to arrive in Australia within weeks, and Australian Medical Association Dr Steve Hambleton says we shouldn't be complacent.

"It's absolutely true (that it is a killer flu), and some of the people reading this might be the victims, I'm sorry to say. It will kill people," he said.

Dr Hambleton said influenza killed an average of 85 Australians each year, with a further 3000 in the most vulnerable over-50 age group dying annually as an indirect result of flu, such as from complications and secondary infections.

He said those numbers could rise with this year's flu season.

"When you get a change (in a virus) of a significant type you get more deaths, because people aren't ready or the vaccines don't match as well. So yes, there is always a concern with flu on the way every winter."

Dr Hambleton said while Australian doctors had "plenty" of vaccine in stock to combat any outbreak, the recent resurgence of the anti-vaccination debate could have a devastating effect on the spread of the virus.

"Children are super-spreaders of the flu. An adult might spread the flu for a week, little kids will spread the flu for three weeks, school children will spread the flu for two weeks," he said.

"We'd absolutely recommend children be vaccinated."

Influenza Specialist Group chairman, virologist Dr Alan Hampson, said Australia has already seen "unusually high levels" of influenza this year, with more than 2400 reported cases since January indicative of an early flu breakout, such as America recently experienced.

"If that becomes more prominent then certainly we will probably see some excess deaths," he said.

Dr Hampson said the recent drop in child immunisation rates could hold grave consequences for the coming flu season, especially with the return of the H1N1 "swine flu" virus to which children are particularly susceptible.

"It's a real concern that people are not vaccinating their kids against usual paediatric diseases, this can be very serious in terms of outbreaks in the community," he said.

Dr Hambleton said pregnant women, people over the age of 65 and those susceptible to chronic diseases were the most vulnerable to influenza, and that everyone over the age of six months should be vaccinated.

"You need to get vaccinated because getting the vaccine is the very best way of protecting yourself," he said

Originally published as Killer flu heading our way