An eight-year-old girl has become the latest victim of Victoria's deadly flu outbreak.
Health authorities said the girl died in the Angliss Hospital at Upper Ferntree Gully in Melbourne's east on Friday.
Earlier this month eight people died from a flu outbreak at an aged care facility at St John's Retirement Village in Wangaratta in Victoria's north-east.
The residents who died were aged between 70 and 94, and had other conditions that made them particularly susceptible.
There have already been 13,000 flu cases in Victoria so far this year, nearly double last year's figures.
Flu vaccinations urged after horror season
Health Minister Jill Hennessy said it had been a devastating flu season.
"What this does show is that flu can hit anyone. It can hit the old or the young, it can hit the healthy or the unhealthy and people should immediately reach out for medical support," she said.
"It's not too late to get vaccinated.
"Do not underestimate how serious an illness influenza can be."
Some Victorian private hospitals will accept public emergency flu patients to deal with the load.
Outbreak spreads along eastern seaboard
Ms Hennessy announced over the weekend the Government would pay for patients arriving by ambulance to be treated in Cabrini and Epworth hospitals, as well as St John of God in Geelong.
"People are not just getting the flu, they are getting very, very sick with this flu," she said.
"We are also seeing significant increases in respiratory illness and pneumonia.
"Today, we're having ministerial roundtable with all of the leaders from the health sector to talk about how else we might better prepare.
"We're not quite sure if the flu season has peaked or not.
"It is right up the eastern seaboard of Australia.
"Queensland has tripled their flu numbers [this season].
"New South Wales has doubled their flu numbers, as has Victoria and it's putting significant pressure on our health services.
"It means that we need things like isolation rooms, intensive care units."
Ms Hennessy said preventing health workers becoming sick was another concern this season.
