ACT health professionals hope access to vaccinations at pharmacies will prevent a repeat of last year's troublesome influenza season, which placed strain on territory hospitals.
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For the first time, adults will be able to access the influenza vaccine without a prescription at their local pharmacists rather than making a doctor's appointment or attending a walk-in clinic.
The ACT government hopes the initiative, first proposed in a discussion paper last year, will boost the territory's vaccination rate, which is already the highest in Australia.
"Although Canberra has good vaccination coverage for the flu in the community we can always do better," an ACT Health spokesman said.
More than 1100 cases of influenza were reported in Canberra last year, with 90,000 cases reported nationally. Overall, the number of cases increased by 25,000.
The spike in cases prompted the federal government to introduce a new influenza vaccine with an extra flu strain to guard against the sickness.
The new vaccine will boost the number of strains covered from three to four and include two A strains of influenza (California and Hong Kong) and two B strains of influenza (Brisbane and Phuket).
Last year, emergency department staff in Canberra reported an increase in patients presenting with influenza symptoms. In the colder months of July and August, ACT Health expected close to 400 patients to present with flu symptoms each month.
At Sydney's Westmead Hospital, NSW's busiest hospital, management have suspended elective surgery for six weeks ahead of the winter flu season to ensure adequate capacity and to cater for annual leave liabilities.
An ACT Health spokeswoman confirmed elective surgery would remain unchanged in Canberra in coming months but encouraged families to be prepare for the colder months.
"Parents of children six months and under and health and community workers are also strongly encouraged to get vaccinated," an ACT Health spokeswoman said.
"The vaccine is relatively inexpensive and can help protect individuals from getting the flu or passing it on to those groups most at risk of experiencing complications from influenza."
Last year, 32 people were admitted to hospital with influenza, with more than half female. The ACT's youngest residents were worst hit, with children up to nine years old behind 19 per cent of cases, followed by 30 to 39-year-olds at 15 per cent.
The ACT Health spokesman said pregnant women, people aged older than 65, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were at greater risk of serious complications from influenza.
"For Canberrans who fall into any of these groups, we strongly encourage them not to delay getting this year's influenza vaccine, which is available for free through the national immunisation program from this month," she said.
"The seasonal influenza vaccine is also available from general practitioners from mid-April, other primary health providers and corporate medical services and, in some circumstances, child health immunisation clinics."
