Australia is woefully unprepared for the next pandemic flu, with doctors hoping this winter's deadly outbreak will serve as a wake-up call for people too lazy to get vaccinated.

Australian Medical Association president Michael Gannon has expressed frustration that take-up rates for flu vaccines remain stubbornly low, warning it could end in disaster.

"Australia is woefully unprepared for the next pandemic flu," he told Fairfax Media.

"You never know when it's going to come – whether it's five years away, 10 years away, 15 years away – but people are lazy and they just don't take it seriously enough. Hopefully, the headlines we've seen this week will serve as a reminder to the population we need to do better next year."