Mornington Health Centre manager Jo Rowe said the centre had administered 1000 flu vaccines in about the first three weeks of the flu vaccine season, which was higher than at the corresponding point last year.
Mrs Rowe said she did not know why uptake was higher than usual. GP Dr Branko Sijnja, who works at Clutha Health First in Balclutha, said hundreds of people attended a promoted flu vaccine day on Monday.
‘‘We were inundated with people coming in for flu jabs.
‘‘It was like they were coming off a cruise ship.''
The majority were people over 65, who are eligible for a free vaccine.
‘‘They were coming in in droves.''
Dr Sijnja believed the profile of flu vaccine had risen in recent years, and had become ‘‘part of the conversation'' for people.
Institute of Environmental Science and Research virologist Dr Sue Huang, of Wellington, said there had been greater awareness of the vaccine since the 2009 flu pandemic, when more people realised flu could be a life-threatening illness.
The effectiveness rate of the flu vaccine was about 50%.
It was less effective in older people because their immune systems were weaker, but they still benefited from getting the vaccine, Dr Huang said.
It was impossible to predict whether 2016 would be a severe flu season, as the flu virus was ‘‘notoriously unpredictable''.
This year's vaccine covers the H1N1, H3N2, and B flu strains. The H3N2 strain is particularly severe for older people.
