Practice Manager Lee Clee says people have been angry and upset because they haven't been able to get a free flu shot in time.

"It's a huge problem for us, but we'd like people to understand that it's something we have no control over.

"The trouble is with the NSW government: we've had ongoing difficulties with NSW Health providing rural practices with their quotas of free vaccines for the vulnerable and older people of our communities.

"Practices in the cities get their vaccines well before rural practices, and even when supplies do arrive they're spasmodic - they don't send a whole heap out, but just a trickle over a couple of weeks.

"And they won't allow us to do an order today and then another order tomorrow - we have to wait until that first order is dispatched before we can do a second order."

Ms Clee said she'd had people tap her on the shoulder to complain when she was down the street and there had been sometimes vicious verbal abuse on the phones when people were told there were no supplies.

Rebecca Bragg, pharmacist at Beddies Pharmacy, said people unable to get a flu shot at the centre could access it through pharmacies, but at a cost.

The quadrivalent shot suitable for most people varies in cost across different pharmacies, but is $19.95 at Beddies. The stronger high-dose vaccine for older people is $60.

Ms Bragg said the more people in a community who were vaccinated, the better - not only for them but for the community as a whole because if a large percentage of people are treated a "herd immunity" can develop whereby it's made very difficult for the virus to spread.

Ms Bragg said a common myth was that you could get the flu from a shot, but that was "physically impossible" because the vaccine has a killed virus.

"Some people can feel a bit unwell and get a slight fever because their immune system produces antibodies, but you just can't get the flu from a shot, it's impossible."