One British tabloid carried the headline, "DEADLY AUSSIE VIRUS SPREADS ACROSS BRITAIN - FLUNITED KINGDOM". Some Poms are saying that, not only do we clobber them in the Ashes Test cricket, but now we are getting at them with our diseases. It was dubbed "Aussie flu" because it was the same type observed during our Australian winter, in which more than 170,000 people contracted the flu.
Although we did suffer considerable and some people in Australia ended up in hospital with some dying, it did not really develop in Australia. So-called Aussie Flue is actually variant of the H3N2 subtype of the influenza A virus. It is normal these days that all strains of flu tend to mutate and change, and Australia often experiences the newest strain first.
However, you guys in the Northern Hemisphere experiencing the Winter months should make absolutely sure that you get your flu injection - one that caters for the newest strains. UK health authorities said their local flu immunisation had been updated and would offer some protection from the Aussie flu. However, it is true that Aussies are world travellers on a bigger scale than many other countries and we do help to spread flu viruses.
Even if it's not free in your country, it's worth it for the peace of mind. 