A newborn boy is alive but his mother is fighting for hers in an induced coma after falling victim to Victoria's "horror" flu season while heavily pregnant.
Sarah Hawthorn, from Cobram in country Victoria, doesn't know she has given birth because she lapsed into unconsciousness in hospital after contracting influenza.
"As a result her gorgeous boy arrived earlier than planned and following his birth Sarah was, and remains, in a critical condition in an induced coma," her family said on a gofundme page.
Her family is trying to raise $20,000 for medical and travel expenses as the 33-year-old remains in a critical condition in the Alfred Hospital.
Victorian Health Minister Jill Hennessy says the "tragic case" highlights just how hard the flu is hitting this year.
Sarah Hawthorne caught the flu in the later stages of her pregnancy. Source: GoFundMe
"One day there's a healthy, pregnant mum and the next day you've got a patient that's in a coma in a hospital," Ms Hennessy told reporters on Wednesday.
"I think all of us feel a great degree of compassion and sympathy to her family."
Ms Hennessy wants a national response to the epidemic and is calling on the federal government to expand access to the flu vaccine.
Immunisation expert Professor Paul Van Buynder said it was vital for pregnant women to get vaccinated during their pregnancies to protect both themselves and their baby.
"(Ms Hawthorn) was lucky that she was late enough in the pregnancy to get the baby out and for it do alright," Prof Van Buynder told 3AW.
"If we vaccinate pregnant woman then we actually protect the baby (from the flu for) at least four months."
Ms Hawthorn's coma follows the flu death of young Bacchus Marsh dad Ben Ihlow on Father's Day.
Christian Brealey, whose eight-year-old daughter Rosie also died last Friday, is urging Victorians to get their children immunised.
"Words cannot describe the depths of our grief. We want to thank our friends and family and the broader community for all the messages of love and compassion," a heartbroken Mr Brealey said.
Between 2000 and 3000 people die of the flu Australia-wide annually, the Victorian Department of Health says, with an estimated 800 deaths in Victoria each year.
This year's flu season has been particularly bad, with more than 13,000 flu cases in Victoria and 95 deaths at aged care facilities.
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