THE government will rely on the advice of health authorities before deciding to ban public events as a way of containing the swine flu, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

There are now 147 swine flu cases across the nation, with a senior doctor suggesting it might be time to start postponing large public gatherings.

"Let's simply wait for advice ... That's the responsible course  of action," Mr Rudd told Fairfax Radio Network, adding that decisions about school closures were made the same way.

Mr Rudd defended the Government's handing of the flu outbreak after a talkback radio caller told him she was angry about the way her son had been treated by health workers.

"It was worse than a third world country," caller Maria said.

"This is just not good enough, Mr Rudd, it's not good enough."

The Prime Minister said he would have someone from the office of Health Minister Nicola Roxon call Maria personally within the hour.

Australia was probably the best prepared country in the world to handle the flu because it had a stockpile of anti-viral drugs for up to 10 million people, Mr Rudd said.

The Government had also placed an order for a swine flu vaccine  being developed by CSL.

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