Victoria's horror flu season has killed 116 people in aged care and the government is pouring an extra $115 million into the health system to help it cope.
A government spokeswoman confirmed on Monday the aged care death tally had risen from 95 two weeks ago.
The illness has also claimed an eight-year-old girl and a Bacchus Marsh father, while 33-year-old new mum Sarah Hawthorn is in a coma after being struck down while heavily pregnant.
"We have had over 14,000 notifications of influenza this year in Victoria - that is more than double what we had last year," Health Minister Jill Hennessy told reporters.
"We are being advised that the flu season may have peaked, but we'd like to see some greater evidence of that because, certainly, the demand on our health system continues."
All public hospitals and 15 bush nursing centres will share the $115 million to ensure flu treatment does not disrupt other patient care, including elective surgeries, which have been copping delays as a result of the flu battle.
"This has been a perfect storm; there've been three separate viruses circulating," Royal Melbourne Hospital respiratory medicine director Lou Irving said.
"There's a cohort of unvaccinated people, including young children, that have been spreading the illness."
He urged people to get vaccinated.
"There's a peak and it's beginning to drop, fingers crossed... although there is 'background flu' now even out of season."
Prof Irving wants a national vaccination program for children to ease the burden on the system and households, and Ms Hennessy has written to the Commonwealth seeking the required funding.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt is in talks with the nation's chief health officer about the effectiveness of a universal system.
Opposition health spokeswoman Mary Wooldridge said the $115 million was a "smokescreen" covering for increasing electricity prices due to the closure of Hazelwood power station.
"There's no doubt the flu has had an impact, but it's been (Premier) Daniel Andrews' funding cuts and surging power prices that's actually meant hospitals have had to make decisions about where they reduce services," she told reporters.
Ms Wooldridge said the opposition would commit $7 million over four years to vaccinate children if it wins the next election.
