Flu vaccine

A free flu jab will be available to all NSW residents in a month-long blitz from June 1 in an effort to combat this year's expected severe influenza season.

GPs will be reimbursed for any flu stock they have already purchased that is used in the month of June for this vaccination program. The Commonwealth Government provides vaccines for vulnerable populations, and funds GPs through the MBS to administer vaccines. "This is particularly important for those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and children aged six months to five years.

NSW health authorities are embarking on a "month-long blitz" to combat what is predicted to be a horror winter for influenza, with 1100 reported cases of ...

Pharmacies have also been given the approval to administer flu vaccines to children aged five. Usually only high-risk groups of people are eligible for free flu shots, but the state government has decided to pick up the tab for everyone in a bid to curb the massive rise in infections. Free flu jabs will be made available to everyone in New South Wales from Wednesday in what authorities are describing as a "month-long blitz" to combat what is anticipated to be a horror winter for influenza.

NSW residents can receive a free flu jab from Wednesday as cases of Influenza are on the rise.

“This is particularly important for those in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and children aged six months to five years. "The dual challenge of broad community spread of COVID-19 and influenza at the same time during winter threatens to put further pressure on a hospital system already facing significant demand," Mr Malinauskas said in a statement on Sunday. In NSW they'll be free of charge via GPs and pharmacists for those five years and above during June while Victoria is considering a similar arrangement and other states and territories are likely to follow. If you live in an aged or disability care facility, are aged over 65 or are immunocompromised, now is the time to book in. “We strongly urge everyone over six months of age to get a flu shot as soon as possible to protect themselves and their loved ones, as the virus is easily spread and potentially deadly,” Dr Chant said. All residents in NSW will be able to receive a free flu jab at GPs and pharmacies between 1 June and 30 June.

Free influenza vaccines will be made available for all Western Australians during June, with the State government announcing a flu jab blitz.

"I would urge all Western Australians, for their own sake, for their families, and for the benefit of our healthcare workforce, to get vaccinated against the flu before the season hits. Due to technical difficulties, subscribers may have trouble logging in and accessing content. "We have secured additional supplies of the vaccine, amid production constraints, to deliver free vaccinations for all Western Australians during the month of June.

Victoria is expected to follow many other states in offering all residents free flu vaccinations to combat high numbers of infections over winter.

"You've got to have a plan that sits behind it. However, Premier Daniel Andrews said on Sunday authorities would have more to say about the vaccinations soon. He says the association is working with the state government to establish a sensible timeline and approach to the distribution of vaccines.

To get your free flu vaccination, simply walk in to any state-run COVID-19 vaccination clinic or book in at participating pharmacies and GPs. People aged under ...

For more information about staying safe during winter, visit the On a Roll website (external link). For a list of state-run COVID-19 vaccination clinics, visit the Roll up for WA website (external link). Please note, state-run clinics do not offer flu vaccinations for children under 5 years.

Most states are territories are now offering to pay for people to get vaccinated against influenza, as the national caseload continues to mount. Flu vaccination ...

‘You’ve got to have a plan that sits behind it. You’ve got to have consultation, detailed discussions with the AMA, the Royal [Australian] College of GPs, and of course, the Pharmacy Guild to make sure that you’ve got all that work done to be able to deliver what you pay for, or deliver what you offer. The move set off a chain reaction, with governments in South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales all offering variations of the Queensland Government’s commitment to free flu shots for the month of June. The lack of communication meant clinics had not been provided information before the announcement in the media, leaving practices scrambling to decipher which vaccines could be given freely and whether they would be reimbursed for purchased stock. For context, that figure is more than three times higher than the notifications recorded in the prior two weeks and equivalent to two thirds of all reported cases this year. For more than a month, the weekly number of laboratory-confirmed influenza cases reported in Australia has exceeded the five-year average, and the 39,000 total cases are around 40 times higher than those recorded during the COVID-influenced ‘flu-zero’ season of 2021.

Children aged as young as six months will be able to be vaccinated against influenza at free state-run vaccination clinics across Tasmania from this ...

There have been more than 184,000 vaccinations against influenza delivered in Tasmania so far this year to date. I want to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of the teams involved in the COVID-19 and influenza vaccination effort in our state-run clinics across the State, who have ensured a high level of protection for the population. This weekend, there are a number of clinics running across the State to ensure increased access to flu vaccinations for Tasmanians. They include:

GPs and pharmacies will offer all Victorians free flu vaccinations after an early start to the flu season has put the health system under pressure.

More than 15,000 cases of the flu have been detected in Victoria so far this year. The early flu season appears to have taken many people by surprise. “We already have a health system that is under a lot of pressure, and we can do our bit to help our health system … and getting vaccinated against the flu is a really important way to do that.” The flu vaccine is already free via the National Immunisation Program for vulnerable groups including those aged six months to five years and those aged 65 and over, but the state government’s program will see free flu shots available for the rest of the community during June. While case numbers have so far been following a similar trajectory to the large and deadly 2019 flu season, the experts say it is still too hard to judge whether Victorians can expect a big flu year, on top of an ongoing and significant wave of COVID-19 infections. Cases of influenza in Victoria have jumped 30 per cent in the past week, and Foley said what was now emerging “looks like a really nasty flu season”.

From tomorrow, all Victorians over six months of age will be able to get free flu vaccines at GP clinics and pharmacies.

Mr Foley said the flu and COVID-19 posed equal threats to the health system, which he said was already stretched, and urged Victorians to get the flu vaccine. Cases of the flu in Victoria have increased by more than 30 per cent in the past week from 10,000 to 15,000 reported infections — more than the combined flu case numbers from the past two years. Victorians will be able to access free flu vaccinations for the month of June, the state government has announced.