Australia's 2026 Flu Season: Expanded Vaccination Programs Aim to Prevent Repeat of Record Deaths

With Australia approaching its winter flu season, federal and state governments, along with health organizations, have implemented multiple programs and campaigns to increase influenza vaccination rates across the population. These initiatives follow a record flu season in 2025, which recorded the highest number of influenza-related deaths in Australia this century.

1,701 deaths were recorded in 2025 where influenza was a direct cause or contributing factor — the highest this century.

National Context and Vaccine Updates

For the 2026 season, the Southern Hemisphere influenza vaccine has been updated to include two new components, one of which is closely related to the subclade K influenza strain. This strain, also referred to as "Super K," was responsible for numerous influenza infections in late 2025 in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres.

In 2025, Australia recorded 1,701 deaths where influenza was a direct cause or contributing factor, according to multiple sources. This compares to 1,045 such deaths in 2024 and 611 in 2023. Health authorities attributed the increase in cases partly to the emergence of the new H3N2 variant (Subclade K) and a decrease in vaccination rates.

Vaccine Types and Availability

Injectable Vaccines

Traditional injectable influenza vaccines are available across Australia through GP clinics, pharmacies, community health services, and Aboriginal Health Services. Vaccines vary by manufacturing method:

• Egg-based vaccines (including Vaxigrip, Fluzone, Influvac) have been the standard for decades. The amount of residual egg protein in these vaccines is minimal (less than one microgram).
• Cell-based vaccines (Flucelvax) provide a non-egg alternative, manufactured in animal cells.

Enhanced formulations are available for older individuals:

• Fluad (adjuvanted vaccine)
• Fluzone High-Dose (higher antigen dose)

The 2026 flu vaccine injection is available for free under the National Immunisation Program (NIP) for eligible groups.

Nasal Spray Vaccine (FluMist)

FluMist is a live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) containing weakened live flu viruses that cannot cause influenza in healthy people. It is administered as a spray into each nostril. Studies indicate the vaccine provides protection comparable to injectable vaccines, reducing influenza infection by 40-60%.

The private market cost for FluMist is estimated at $50-70. The vaccine is currently registered for children only in Australia.

State and Territory Programs

New South Wales

The NSW Government has funded the Nasal Spray Influenza Vaccination Program, providing free FluMist vaccines for children aged 2, 3, and 4 years through participating community pharmacies and GPs.

The immunization rate for children under 5 in NSW is just 24% — despite over 24,500 influenza cases recorded in that age group in 2025.

Key Context:

• Over 24,500 influenza cases were recorded in children under five in NSW in 2025
• Over 4,600 emergency department presentations and 960 hospital admissions for influenza-like illness in children under five in 2025 (40% increase from 2024)
• NSW recorded 186,768 influenza cases across all age groups in 2025

Health Minister Ryan Park stated that community pharmacies are vital for vaccine access and urged people to get vaccinated. Mario Barone, NSW Branch President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, said the program removes a barrier to childhood vaccination and makes the experience less stressful for children who fear needles.

Western Australia

The Western Australian Government has launched a program providing free FluMist vaccines for children aged 2 to 11 years. The initiative involves 130,000 doses funded by a $6.6 million investment.

Eligible families can access the vaccine through GPs, pharmacies, community health clinics, and Aboriginal Medical Services.

Approximately 60% of parents experience distress when considering influenza vaccination for their children, and more than 25% of young children experience intense needle-phobia.

Preventative Health Minister Sabine Winton noted that WA is offering the most comprehensive free FluMist program in the nation. Dr. Ramya Raman, Chair of the Royal Australian College of GPs WA, said the program could make vaccination easier and less stressful for families.

South Australia

On Monday, South Australia's Health and Wellbeing Minister Blair Boyer and Chief Public Health Officer Professor Nicola Spurrier received flu vaccinations at the Arkaba Medical Centre in Adelaide. The event was described as a collaborative effort between GPs and SA Health to promote vaccination messaging.

Dr. Siân Goodson, RACGP Board and SA Chair, stated that increased vaccination rates reduce hospitalizations and deaths from influenza. She noted that some patients have experienced "vaccine fatigue" since the COVID-19 pandemic.

A two-and-a-half-year-old patient received an intranasal flu vaccine during the same event as part of a new state-run program offering needle-free vaccination for young children.

Queensland

Queensland has introduced FluMist as part of its free flu vaccination program for children aged 2 to 5 years. CSL Seqirus announced that Fluad, an adjuvanted influenza vaccine, is now approved for Australians aged 50 and over. Previously, Fluad was only funded for adults aged 65 and over.

Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls stated the state's $31 million vaccination program is Australia's largest free flu vaccination initiative.

National Immunisation Program Eligibility

Free influenza vaccines are provided under the NIP for:

• People aged 65 years and over
• Children aged six months to four years
• People with certain chronic medical conditions
• Pregnant individuals
• All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and over

Expert Recommendations and Community Initiatives

Equity and Access Concerns

Professor Holly Seale, a social scientist at UNSW, reported declining flu vaccination rates across the population with persistent inequities for some communities. She stated that among some Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities, the risk of hospitalization due to vaccine-preventable disease is higher. She identified barriers including difficult-to-navigate services, lack of information in native languages, and lack of trusted voices.

The NSW Government committed $15 million over four years to boost vaccination rates among priority populations. The program funds local organizations to work directly with their communities as "connectors" for immunization.

Research and Monitoring

The Murdoch Children's Research Institute has launched the Southern Hemisphere Nasal Influenza Flu Vaccine Experience Study (SNIFFLES). The study will involve 270 Victorian children aged 2 to 9 years to compare immune responses to FluMist and standard injectable vaccines.

Broader Health Recommendations

Professor Paul Griffin, an infectious diseases expert, stated that Australia is under-vaccinating individuals at high risk of severe respiratory infections. He noted that immunocompromised Australians constitute about 4% of the population but account for around a quarter of severe COVID-19 cases and a disproportionate number of deaths.

Fewer than 15% of high-risk Australians who should have received a COVID-19 booster within the previous six months have done so, and influenza vaccine uptake in younger adults in 2025 was below 10% in many categories.

Vaccine Safety and Side Effects

Injectable Vaccines

• Contain purified haemagglutinin protein, not live virus, and cannot cause influenza
• Common side effects include injection site pain, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain

Nasal Spray Vaccine (FluMist)

• Contains weakened live virus that replicates only in the nose
• Common side effects include blocked or runny nose (reported by over 50% of children), fever, headache (approximately 10%)
• Not recommended for individuals who are severely immunosuppressed or regularly take aspirin
• Medical advice should be sought for those who are mildly immunosuppressed, have severe asthma or other lung diseases, or are pregnant adolescents

Health authorities state that there is no evidence that flu vaccines overload or overwhelm the immune system. Combination vaccines and simultaneous administration are routine and considered safe.

Data on Influenza Impact (2025 Season)

• Australia recorded 1,701 deaths where influenza was a direct cause or contributor
• This compares to 1,045 deaths in 2024 and 611 in 2023
• Over 500,000 influenza cases were reported
• Approximately two in five diagnosed cases were in people under 18
• Over half of hospitalized children with flu were previously healthy
• At least 29 child deaths from flu were recorded in Australia from 2018 to 2023
• Thousands of children under five presented to emergency departments across NSW with influenza
• Influenza causes approximately 3,500 deaths in Australia annually

The 2026 flu season arrives with an updated vaccine targeting the "Super K" strain, expanded free nasal spray programs for children, and urgent calls to address declining vaccination rates — especially among high-risk groups.