GPs are sounding the alarm on Australia's influenza vaccination rates, following a record flu season in which more than 410,000 lab-confirmed cases have been reported so far in 2025.
The startling case numbers have already outstripped the previous all-time high of 365,000, recorded last year, with Royal Australian College of GPs (RACGP) President Dr Michael Wright describing the latest figures as a wake-up call.
"This is not a record we want to be breaking, we must boost vaccination rates and reverse this trend," he said.
"Getting vaccinated not only help keeps yourself as safe as possible, but also your friends and family members. This should act as a wake-up call to all patients across Australia."
While influenza case numbers are soaring, flu vaccination rates have plateaued or are trending in the opposite direction:
Only 25.7% of children aged six months to five years were vaccinated in 2025, the lowest since 2021
Rates for patients over the age of 65 have also slipped, with the 60.5% rate the lowest since 2020
The stalled vaccination rates have led Dr Wright to call for action ahead of next year's peak flu season.
"Governments can take concrete steps to improve our vaccination figures," he said.
"Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia have committed to introducing free childhood intranasal vaccinations ahead of the 2026 flu season and we would like to see other states and territories do the same. Needle-free vaccinations make such a difference.
"The vaccination rate for young children, who are at increased risk of contracting a severe flu infection, has fallen to just one in four and they're also coming down with influenza more often than any other patient group.
"Many kids are fearful of needles, which can stall vaccination efforts – particularly as two thirds of parents say the distress they feel when thinking about vaccinating their child acts as a barrier.
"That's why needle-free vaccinations are a game changer. I can't imagine a more effective and timely way to boost vaccinations for these kids.
"The intranasal sprays have been thoroughly tested for safety and efficacy overseas. Finland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain having been administering them for years and these countries have seen substantial increases in vaccination coverage in high-risk patient groups.
"We must fight complacency and get more jabs in arms to help keep as many patients as possible out of hospital and ensure that next year's flu case number figures are heading in the right direction."
Key influenza stats:
2025 is the worst year on record for influenza adjusted for population, with around 1.5% of people experiencing a notifiable flu infection, or 1525 lab-confirmed cases per 100,000 people – a 10.8% increase on the 2024 record
More than 44,500 infections were among children under five, a disproportionately high 10.9% of all cases, while more than one in three cases were recorded among children younger than 15
Cases continue to climb, with over 13,000 lab-confirmed cases this month as of 15 October, almost double the 7201 figures in October 2024, according to the National the Notifiable Disease Surveillance System
~
