According to the Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon, this year swine flu would be as severe as it was last year.

A new advertising campaign to warn the community of the risks has been started by the government following 50 confirmed cases of the virus this year.

Roxon said, "We expect it to be of the same level of severity as last year. We really are urging all Australians to consider taking themselves and their family down to the GPs and getting themselves vaccinated. It is an easy way to protect yourself, but more importantly to protect the rest of the community because it stops it being spread as easily as it did last year."

Last year, to target the influenza (A) H1N1 strain, known as swine flu, the Federal Government had spent $120 million on 21 million doses of Panvax.

This year the government has distributed about seven million doses and a further 240,000 pre-filled syringes to infants so far.

Roxon has urged Australians to take adequate precaution by getting themselves vaccinated ahead of this year's flu season, which officially starts in May.