Ontario’s health minister is sounding the alarm, saying this year’s flu season will likely be a particularly bad one.

Christine Elliott says officials have been looking at Australia’s flu season, and based on what that country is experiencing this year, it will likely be a “very difficult” flu season here.

More than 200 flu-related deaths have been reported by Australian health authorities so far at this early stage in their flu season.

But Elliot says being forewarned is forearmed saying that while it’s really important to try prevent it in the first place, we also need to be prepared to deal with it when it does come to Ontario, in terms of hospital care, home care and community care.

The health ministry says it has ordered 300,000 more high-dose flu vaccines for this year compared to last year, with a total order of 1.2 million.