Health experts urged residents to get a flu shot as soon as possible

The Pharmacy Guild of Australia has said there was no doubt early and broad flu vaccination would help in the fight against COVID-19, and vaccinations should start any time from now, with supplies already arriving in pharmacies.

Pharmacist and part owner at John Matthews Chemworld Chemist, Jessica Morgan-Thomas said the recommendation is people get the vaccine, and get it now.

Ms Morgan Thomas said John Matthews received their stocks last Friday and demand had been very steady.

She said people don't need to make an appointment, they can just walk in and have their injection, between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.

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"We've got three to four pharmacists on at all times, all of whom are qualified to give the vaccination, it doesn't take long, and costs $24.95"

She said the pharmacy had also set up areas for injections to ensure all social distancing guidelines were complied with, and urged everyone to be vaccinated.

"The latest recommendation is to get the injection as soon as possible."

She said the last thing anyone wants in the current conditions is to be at risk of both Coronavirus and influenza, with the latter posing its own deadly threat, with an annual death toll estimated at more than 3000.

Anyone who contacted both would most certainly be looking at hospitalisation due to the risk posed to their respiratory function.

"Influenza on it's own is a pretty horrible illness, it takes weeks to recover from," she said.

"Older people and immunodeficient people are also more at risk.

"The recommendation is for people to do what they can to minimise that risk," she said.

Ms Morgan-Thomas said in a normal season people should be doing everything they can to avoid the flu but given the current pandemic, that advice is more vital then ever, given medical experts across the nation are concerned about what would happen if the flu impact were superimposed on a season which is overrun by COVID-19.

The other issue medical experts are concerned about is now people are working from home, they are missing their usual workplace vaccination program.